Council administration building future to be explored

Hutt City Council’s main administration building in Laings Road needs to be earthquake strengthened by 2018 as a legal requirement under the Building Act.

Hutt City Council chief executive Tony Stallinger says earthquake strengthening is a major construction project and will intrude on day to day work, so we need to look at relocating the council offices for around two years.

Wareham Cameron Consultants have been appointed to investigate options for carrying out the strengthening work, maintaining council offices and making the most of opportunity for stimulating growth in the CBD.

The CBD Making Places project has suggested a new building in the CBD could create a ‘civic precinct’ in the heart of the city. This could connect the CBD with the river, and drive social and economic vitality with potential retail and commercial space created to support high quality business development.

“Council has identified a number of possible sites that could accommodate council offices for customers and 250 staff within the CBD. This could be either on a permanent basis or as a temporary location while the administration building is being strengthened.

“This work aims to establish more accurate costs and benefits of all our options, give us more clarity on what’s possible commercially and make recommendations on further research.”

A previous study put one option of strengthening at a cost at $20.1 million which has been budgeted in the Long Term Council Community Plan in 2017/18 and fits within the current financial strategy.

Results of the feasibility study are likely to be available in December 2010.

ENDS

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