The vision of Napier's new civic precinct buildings, construction of which is set to start in June. Image / Napier City Council
The vision of Napier's new civic precinct buildings, construction of which is set to start in June. Image / Napier City Council
Construction of Napier’s new civic centre is expected to start by the end of June following the awarding of the lead contract to Hawke’s Bay consortium MCL Stead.
The awarding of the contract, worth $70.5 million and including new council chambers to replace those in the Civic Building vacated suddenly in June 2017 after failing to meet building codes in an earthquake risk assessment, was announced by the city council today.
Demolition was completed in March 2023, as the council moved forward with the civic precinct concept announced later that year.
As well as the new “meeting space” and offices, it includes the new “community library hub” customer service centre, and development of the outdoor public space surrounding the area, on the same footprint that had been the council home for more than 60 years until the vacation of the buildings separated council staff on numerous sites in the city.
Mayor Kirsten Wise, who was a councillor at the time of the vacation and became mayor in 2019, said up to 300 subcontractors will be working on the site over the next two years.
“We’re using this pivotal project to drive local job creation and economic momentum,” she said. “This is about securing meaningful work for local tradespeople, suppliers and businesses across the region.
“We are very excited to have reached this milestone, it’s over seven years, we’ve consulted [publicly] four times, there’s been a majority of support each time.
“I was there when we were told we had to vacate, it’s dominated most of my time on council, and it’s not as quick as we would have liked, with the disruptions that everyone’s been through in Hawke’s Bay. But it’s happening.”
Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan, the deputy chairwoman of the independent Civic Precinct Advisory Board, said the board and council have high expectations for positive community outcomes of the construction contract.
“We’ve taken a careful, community-first approach throughout, starting with collaboration with mana whenua and library users,” she said. “Collaboration continues with the construction contract awarded to a homegrown joint venture. It means continuity of work for local businesses and strong local oversight of a key public project.”
MCLStead is a joint venture between local companies MCL and Stead, and the partnership was chosen after an extensive procurement process, including rigorous due diligence that looked at broader outcomes such as local partnership and employment, as well as price attributes, a council media release said.
It quoted MCLStead director Jeremy Stead as saying the team is proud to be the lead contractor on the project.
“The directors of MCL Construction and I shared a dream of a joint venture that would keep large construction jobs local,” he said. “This project was the perfect first opportunity to realise that aspiration, which will result in a long-lasting asset for future generations.”
MCLStead is aiming for 87% of its contract value to be delivered by locally-based sub-trades and workforce, using national suppliers when out-of-region supply and expertise are needed but enabling them to work with local providers for installation.
The old Napier Civic Building was built in the 1960s and demolished in 2023, six years after failing earthquake risk assessment. Photo / NZME
“Napier’s civic precinct will transform an area of central Napier into a space that will be a cornerstone of community connection for years to come. Right from the outset this will be a place of learning, inspiration and growth,” the mayor said.
“This build is more than just a library,” she said. “The term ‘library’ over-simplifies our vision for this place. We’re constructing a gathering place that will be a hub for community connection and civic engagement. It will be contemporary, fit-for-purpose, and will offer services that meet our community’s needs in the technological age.”
The precinct also offers opportunities for income generation through third-party tenancies and future commercial opportunities.
Construction costs (excluding contingencies, professional fees, consenting and other costs) are $27m for the new library, $5.5m for council governance and meeting space, $31m for the refurbished office building, otherwise known as the library: $31m and $7m for outdoor public space.
While it comes to $70.5m, inflation-adjusted total project cost is $110.5m, including fit-out costs, professional and other fees and a contingency budget.
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
