A concept drawing of how Merivale Community Centre could look in the future. Image Beca/supplied
A concept drawing of how Merivale Community Centre could look in the future. Image Beca/supplied
Each day 45 children jam into a poorly-converted garage behind the Merivale Community Centre for its free after-school programme.
In the summer it is an oven and in winter it is a chiller, volunteers say. Year-round it is dark and gloomy, as most garages are.
But it is the onlyspace big enough for the programme, which centre manager Sophie Rapson said had "more than quadrupled" in size this year.
The actual centre, on the corner of Kesteven Ave and Fraser St, was opened in the old house on the site 25 years ago. It served what was still one of New Zealand's most deprived neighbourhoods.
Rapson said her team was grateful for what they had, but the little house - with its ad hoc conversions and additions - became too small decades ago and was not fit for purpose, restricting the centre's ability to grow services to meet community demand.
After years of planning, that might all be about to change.
On Tuesday Tauranga City Council voted seven to two in favour of putting a loan-funded grant of $1.16 million towards a $4.6m project to build a new community centre, plus $20,000 a year to help keep it running.
The funding was not guaranteed because it was going into the council's draft budget for the next 10 years, which may be trimmed before or during next year's public consultation.
Sibylle Steppat, Sophie Rapson and Chris Rapson of Merivale Community Centre. Photo/Samantha Motion
But centre chairman Chris Rapson said obtaining the council's blessing was a huge hurdle to clear.
It would enable the centre, or rather the new independent trust that will own and maintain the planned building, to go out to other funding sources - granting agencies and the private sector - to raise the rest of the capital and get started.
The council's support for the service was not unanimous and there were questions about the cost to build the new facility.
Councillor Rick Curach worked it out to $6000 a square metre. "That seems high."
He wanted to see the committee explore a design-and-build option.
Councillor Bill Grainger encouraged them to look at ways to bring the cost down before the budget went out for community consultation.
Councillor Larry Baldock said the project was "long overdue". The council had bought the land and it was "crazy to see it just sitting there", he said.
"The work done there is incredible. Without Merivale Community Centre we hate to think what Merivale would look like."
Sibylle Steppat, chairwoman of the Merivale residents sub-committee, said it was time for a new building. If the old one was too small 20 years ago, it was far too small today.
She believed a new centre would be an asset not just to Merivale, but to nearby suburbs Gate Pa, Greerton and The Lakes.
- $4.6m development project - 630sq m new facility on 1220sq m council-owned section - Modern, fit-for-purpose - Big, flexible, functional spaces - Private meeting rooms - Computer rooms - Classrooms - Childcare room
How the councillors voted
For: Greg Brownless, Terry Molloy, Larry Baldock, Leanne Brown, Steve Morris, Bill Grainger, Rick Curach Against: Gail McIntosh, Catherine Stewart Absent: Kelvin Clout, Max Mason
