Historic Claudelands grandstand closed for remedial works after borer found

The grandstand was built in Cambridge in 1878 using untreated native timbers before being relocated to the Claudelands site in 1887. Photo / Hamilton City Council

The historic grandstand at Claudelands in Hamilton has closed temporarily for remedial works after borer damage was discovered.

The damage was found when Hamilton City Council staff were carrying out repairs following vandalism earlier this year. The repairs required a section of exterior cladding to be removed which uncovered the damage.

Structural engineering specialists carried out a further assessment on one section of the building and concluded that the venue should shut immediately to allow a full investigation into the extent of the damage and remedial works to be carried out. It is not known how long the closure will be required but it is likely to be at least 12 months.

Hamilton City Council's general manager of venues, tourism and major events, Sean Murray, said the grandstand was a much-valued building so its temporary closure is disappointing for all involved.

The Six60 concert at Claudelands Oval in Hamilton in February 2021 with the grandstand at centre back. Photo / Supplied

"As a listed heritage building, The Grandstand is a special and unique function space within H3's suite of venues. We are incredibly proud of this building so the discovery of the borer damage was disappointing, although we understand it is not unusual in buildings from its era."

The grandstand was built in Cambridge in 1878 using untreated native timbers before being relocated to the Claudelands site in 1887.

Murray said the priority for the H3 team is to work with clients who have existing bookings in the grandstand to help secure alternative arrangements for their events.

"We understand the closure is hugely inconvenient for existing clients, so we are committed to working with them to find alternative arrangements that they are happy with – this includes accommodating them within our other H3 venues wherever we can."

A business case will be prepared for the council to consider repair options, with the report expected to be presented towards the end of the year. With the grandstand being a listed heritage building, this is likely to impact the way the issues are addressed and the cost of repairs.

The current closure is not related to the building's seismic assessments which were carried out several years ago. However, the upcoming repairs may enable some of the work identified during its seismic strengthening assessments to be completed at the same time.