Plans to build a multimillion-dollar new theatre to house two of Rotorua's theatre groups have been unveiled.
The Rotorua Little Theatre Society and the Rotorua Musical Theatre have agreed to form a working group to look further at the proposal of building new shared premises with individual performance areas for each group - a move which has been described as "incredibly exciting".
Preferred sites for the new theatre include one near the current Shambles Theatre on Amohau St or another near The Arts Village on Hinemaru St.
Early indications are the building may cost up to $5 million and include two separate performance and rehearsal stages as well as a shared front of house area and public spaces.
It comes after the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust presented both theatre societies with a feasibility study for a shared venue.
They have agreed to look at it in more detail.
Trust chairman Grahame Hall said it had been a long journey getting to this point but he was thrilled with the result.
Mr Hall said the new complex would be a major boost for Rotorua theatre and the local community.
The idea came about after the trust was made aware that the theatre societies might individually approach them for money to repair their buildings, both of which needed work. The trust decided to look at the viability of a shared venue to make sure any money was spent in the best possible way.
A rough figure provided in the report was $4.8 million. Mr Hall said while they hadn't gone down the track of deciding on funding he was confident that it wouldn't be "an insurmountable hurdle".
Mr Hall believed money would be available from a variety of sources and said it was "not beyond our community" to find ways to fund it other than through the ratepayers.
There hadn't been a timeline put on the next stage but Mr Hall said there was some urgency with the current theatre buildings' need for repairs.
Mr Hall said the proposed new theatre would be a great legacy for the next generation.
"I think it is an incredibly exciting time for performing arts in Rotorua."
Rotorua Little Theatre Society president Grant Webb said there was an "air of excitement" now with the concept including separate areas for each theatre.
"It will provide us with a facility which should be good for the next 50 years. For the long term benefit of theatre in Rotorua, it's very good."