Partial Re-Opening of Riccarton Community Centre

Today, Tuesday 11 June, Riccarton residents and community groups are now able to access the foyer and front board room within the Riccarton Community Centre.

In April the Community Recreation and Culture Committee heard a delegation from the Central Riccarton Residents' Association Inc. asking that their community centre in Clarence Street be partially opened. The Committee recommended that Council staff investigate a partial re-opening of the building. The foyer and board room in the front portion of the building that was developed in 1968 is 100 per cent of the New Building Standard (NBS) and therefore investigations began to see if that portion of the building could open.

Committee Chair Yani Johanson is pleased that the Committee was able to support the community’s request to fruition.

"It is important that Council take creative approaches where possible to help get community facilities up and running. In this case while the building as a whole was unsafe, blocking off the dangerous areas and working through a number of fire safety issues has meant that we are now able to get neighbourhood groups back into parts of the Riccarton Community Centre building that are above code.  I thank the community for their patience and understanding while Council has worked towards this positive outcome.”

Mayor Bob Parker is delighted that this progress has been made.

“This is a small but significant step. The Council’s Facilities Rebuild programme will roll out over a number of years with 1600 facilities to be addressed – so each step in this journey is cause for celebration.”

The work that enabled this partial re-opening involved blocking off parts of the building that are below 34 per cent of NBS, rectifying a number of fire egress issues, obtaining a Building Warrant of Fitness, completing a Health and Safety Risk Management Assessment and upgrading signage.

Residents and community groups using the re-opened sections will be made aware that parts of the building are not able to be accessed for safety reasons.

Investigations will continue into the remaining portion of the building that is at 2 per cent NBS and the future of the building as a whole will be made by elected members as part of the Facilities Rebuild Plan project.

This facility is part of the Council's Top 30 projects for immediate action under its Facilities Rebuild Plan project. (Click here to see a list of 30 priority projects, which are not in any particular order http://www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/councilfacilities/updateonfacilitiesrebuildplan.aspx#jumplink2).

ENDS

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