Funding needed for upgrade's new buildings

An artist's impression of civic centre.

A consultant says a significant amount of external funding could be used to cover the cost of a range of new buildings associated with the proposed civic centre upgrade.

At a Tauranga City Council meeting yesterday, Giblin Group consultant Erin Hardford-Wright outlined the funding and sponsorship of the proposed museum, library and community hub, performance venue, public transport hub and the transformation of Masonic Park.

External funding would account for between 76 and 82 per cent of the cost of building a museum.

This funding could come from a range of sources including community trusts, philanthropists, fundraising, and lottery grants and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The remainder would be sourced from Tauranga City Council.

The library and community hub was expected to have between 6 and 13 per cent external funding, and the rest funded by the council.

The level of external funding for a proposed performance venue would depend on its function but it could attract funding from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

It was expected that between 32 and 34 per cent would come from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and 14 to 18 per cent from community sources.

The Public Transport Hub had a possible 10 per cent commercial funding source, if there was an agreement with a transport operation. The Masonic Park transformation would be about 75 per cent funded by the council.

The remainder would come from external sources such as central government and lottery grants.

The decision on creating Tauranga's civic heart was delayed last night after more deliberations were needed on whether elected members voted to adopt the Civic Space Options Programme Business Case, which recommended a new civic administration, transformation of Masonic Park into a civic square, and preparing feasibility studies for a museum, a new library and performance venue.

The decision was postponed until June 9.