“The cost savings that this design gives us is significant for a council of our size, and yet we’re able to retain the heritage facade which the people of Taihape value the most,” Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said.
Northern Ward councillor Gill Duncan said it had been an option to keep and restore features of the building, such as the stage and hall, but the upkeep was estimated to cost more over time than a full replacement.
“Not only is it going to cost less but it will be less to maintain going forward and we will get a better result in terms of heating and insulation.”
Duncan said one of the reasons it had taken a long time to confirm a redevelopment concept was the council’s refusal to lower its standards of what it wanted the Town Hall to be.
“The need to have a home for our full-scale musicals, drama productions, our dance academies and weather-dependent events meant we had to fight for this outcome,” she said.
Because of the Town Hall’s significance to the community, the council believed it was important to announce the decision on the concept design but details regarding the cost and timeline were yet to be confirmed.
“There’s no way this will be let lie now, we will be pushing to get it up and running,” Duncan said.
“This is such a dream for me that this decision has been made and now we can step forward.”
Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
