Views sought on new city hall

Public opinion is being sought on Tauranga City Council's proposal to replace its leaking and mouldy administration block with a new $65 million building and civic plaza.

The decision to go public opens the way for the redevelopment of the entire block over time, and while the original motion survived the debate intact there, was debate around the fringes.


Public consultation on a new council building begins Friday. Image: TCC

Council is going to the public on building a new $68.6 million civic administration block which would be constructed over the next four years.

An open space area around the 8170m2 building and remediating the open area created by the demolition of the current building, plus the creation of a civic square on Masonic Park will cost an additional 4.2 million.

The cost per ratepayer will be about $23 in 2019/20, rising to $65 in 2020/21.

Public input is also sought on a proposal to spend $300,000 on a feasibility study for a museum, the future of the city library, and investigations into developing a 1000-1200 seat performance venue.

Debate was over details. Councillor Steve Morris' wanted the $4.2m for the landscaping to come from the unspent $4.2m remaining in the Long Term Plan budget for waterfront and streetscape improvement.

His argument that councillors were developing a taste for spending public money gained some traction and the vote was split because Bill Grainger abstained, leaving Mayor Stuart Crosby to decide the issue on his casting vote.

The money is there to upgrade streetscapes following developments in the CBD like the Trustpower building and the university campus.

'To transfer that to be used on ourselves in not the original intent,” says Stuart.

Parties looking at CBD developments might feel they have been misled if the city council were to remove the funding, says Stuart.

Councillors also adopted the Civic Space Options Programme Business Case, which contains the underlying information on which the proposed amendments have been prepared.

Stuart says the Programme Business Case provides elected members with evidence to enable them to put forward the proposed amendments to the Long Term Plan while supporting their future decision making.

'Creating Tauranga's civic heart is an exciting opportunity for Tauranga. I encourage the community to share their feedback on the proposed amendments,” says Stuart after the meeting.

'I also wish to reinforce that Elected Members will not be making their decisions until after public consultation on the proposed Amendment to the Long Term Plan.”

Councillor and Civic Space Options Project Steering Group chair Gail McIntosh says adopting both the Programme Business Case and the proposed amendment to Long Term Plan allows council to take the next step in the project.

'The Programme Business Case provides elected members with comprehensive evidence on which to proceed to the next stage – which is public consultation on whether the community supports investment in a new civic administration building with open space on Willow Street, and transforming Masonic Park into a civic square,” explains Gail.

The changes proposed in the amendment to Long Term Plan will lead to the rates increase limits being exceeded in 2020 and 2021. The debt to revenue ratio limit of 225 per cent would also be exceeded for three years from 2019, if council opted to own the administration building.

'We recognise the size and scale of what we're proposing is significant. We want to ensure we provide value for money to our ratepayers at the same time as investing in our growing city,” says Gail.

'What we are proposing will allow us to invest wisely over a long period of time and consider the opportunities. When we approved the Long Term Plan 2015-2025 we were unaware of the full extent of the weather-tightness, seismic and building services issues with the Council buildings.

But she adds: 'Resolving these issues is not addressed in the present Long Term Plan and cannot wait until the next Long Term Plan in 2018.”

'We are proposing to amend the current Long Term Plan, to provide for these matters. This is explained in the consultation document, which we encourage the community to provide their feedback on when public consultation opens on 17 June,” says Gail.

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21 comments

Hear me roar

Posted on 16-06-2016 10:18 | By nerak

And if I roar, will they listen? They haven


Hmmmm

Posted on 16-06-2016 12:28 | By How about this view!

I will continue to be stridently opposed to council offices being rebuilt in its current location and I'm now extremely concerned that come-what-may, this is the ONLY course of action being sought by our ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. Evidence can be found in this article "while the original motion survived the debate intact there, was debate around the fringes." We Could have a visitor based central city with an entertainment element, by building an hotel/conference/casino structure that would bring MORE tourists into Tauranga as a base to visit other centres from. Council can operate from anywhere and still be inefficient and controversial.


I wonder

Posted on 16-06-2016 12:57 | By How about this view!

If we have considered the additional pressures that will be imposed on our city centre by the proposed university campus? Maybe the thinking is that if we spend lots of money on high priced architecturally designed office blocks it will attract more students?? Downtown Tauranga will become a ghost town after 3pm and an alcohol fuelled battleground when the sun goes down.


NO

Posted on 16-06-2016 13:34 | By Captain Sensible

Absolutely not. The inspectors that passed the building and the builders must pay themselves. That's what they get paid for and probably have insurance for. Not the ratepayers problem.


@ Captain Sensible

Posted on 16-06-2016 14:37 | By Crash test dummies

I agree but bay Building Certifiers and CGAF Ltd have all long since gone and all have disappeared back inside TCC ranks. No chance of a payout there I am afraid, ratepayers slugged again.


Build then Lease

Posted on 16-06-2016 14:39 | By Jitter

If council go ahead and build (but not in the city centre), once completed the building should be sold and then leased back. Many of the large corporations, government departments etc in NZ now lease buildings throughout the country. I worked for a large corporation for over 40 years which owned office buildings in all of the main centres for many years from the 1930s to the 1980s. They then sold off all their office buildings and leased them back which was far more economical overall. Councillors and staff appear to have tunnel vision and can only think of building and owning their building in the city centre. Open your eyes people.


Get on with it already!

Posted on 16-06-2016 16:04 | By I Feel Like Pablo

The CBD looks lame as. Nuff Said.


petition, sign and share it!

Posted on 16-06-2016 16:38 | By gottabekidding

hey guys, i found this post on the tauranga city council page get behind it, share it might make them have a rethink or at least let them know some of us are not happy about all the money being spent before they just do what they want! (as normal) https://www.change.org/p/tauranga-city-council-stop-the-65-million-tauranga-civic-heart-public-money-pit?recruiter=557194379&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&recuruit_context=fb_share_mention_variant


@ Jitter

Posted on 16-06-2016 16:59 | By BullShtAlert

Could you please explain how it is more economical to lease when those who had the foresight to retain ownership of their land and buildings have seen a huge rise in the values of those properties on which they then charge say a rental value of 8%? It might be all very good for govt depts because they seem to have a bottomless pit of tax funds to pay for their palaces.


Usual comments

Posted on 16-06-2016 17:07 | By Taffy

I see we have the usual comments and yes I am totally against this spending but we have to do more than putting our 4 cents worth of comments on Sunlive.How about a petition,send E-Mails to all the councillors, put your objections in through the submission process. Please don,t come back with the usual answer that they take no notice,because if you don,t do it don,t moan later on. Secondly the election is only a few months so make sure you vote and we can get rid of these over spenders.There is no way I want my rates going up 4.2% then ^.7% as previously reported that would only be the start.


Bring the CBD alive

Posted on 16-06-2016 17:46 | By jaydeegee

so long as it's not in the style of Wharf Street and made of fourth grade wood!


@jaydeegee

Posted on 16-06-2016 18:59 | By The Sage

Love your comment. Adds a bit of levity. Yabbadabbadoo, we're the Flinstones. Wharf Street is abominable, looks like Bedrock.


responsibilities

Posted on 16-06-2016 19:11 | By rosscoo

Companies don't care look at Tena he got 5.5 Million from tax payers When his lawyer didn't do his job so he shuld be responsible. same thing here with company passing building in first place they should be responsible but NOooo got make make rate payer pay.


What??????

Posted on 16-06-2016 19:37 | By astex

Why not simply spend the $7M ish dollars to fix the old building? Don't we have enough debt and high rates already??


ARE YOU REALLY INTERESTED?

Posted on 16-06-2016 21:36 | By Colleen Spiro

I see the same old non de plume's having a say about what they feel, but did ANY of you get out from UNDER your keyboards and attend the meeting yesterday.....I DID...you need to be at these meetings to understand everything that is being said, body language etc...All meetings are recorded, so get online and LISTEN at least to the audio of the meeting...they SHOULD BE ON VIDEO, as people cannot attend because of work committments. I agree with Taffy...you need to do MORE THAN WHINGE on here..ask the questions, are they going to own, are they going to lease, is it actually cheaper for them to be in one place? do they need to do this at all and REPAIR the old building, or just rebuild that one...ASK ASK ASK. DO SOMETHING, they see you whinging on here, they don't know who you are. IMPORTANT THEY DO


Well that's a nice picture...

Posted on 16-06-2016 22:18 | By groutby

..of the new Council Offices clearly expected at Council level...costings done?..plans in?...expectation high?..I think so...any likelehood of moving outside of the immediate city area?..NO!..not a mention, are we happy where we are on the Westpac Building?..NO!..it wasn't ACUTALLY built for us and haven't got the "conveniences" we want..(sob). Bill Grainger please leave council if you have no opinion, this is of no use to us, Mr Crosby, you want a legacy for your sad tenure and you may well get it, with much sadness and expense as usual not at your personal expense. We know to expect the usual budget blowout will end up being far more than the figures offered today, Gail, as an experienced and respected accountant, if and when we "firm up" anything, we get a known and accurate price GUARANTEED for the job in hand so we are not fleeced again?..most council turkeys don't care!


petition- tcc Bell

Posted on 20-06-2016 11:04 | By Taffy

To all you people who moan and groan about TCC spending ete this petition has only four signatures as at 11am today isn,t it funny that give you the opportunity to do something result zilch just like putting in submissions.I rest my case and apologies if incorrect.


Reply to BullShtAlert

Posted on 20-06-2016 17:01 | By Jitter

Build the new building for the stated $71 million (which I don't believe is correct. It will be nearer $150 million plus). Immediately it is completed it's value (going on todays valuations) will more than double, then rent it back. For the cumulative rental amount to total the selling price will take a number of years so TCC should be on the plus side until this time arrives. Or ask the Civic Amenities Group to build it and rent it from them. They seem very keen to get involved in the city centre redevelopment.


Astroturf group

Posted on 26-06-2016 15:34 | By marshamaxw

This things are a stage managed affair. The public consultation. The Civic Action Group is a astroturf group for rich developers who have invested interests in the project they stand to profit from.The public sphere has become dominated by the interest of private and corporate interests.


@ marshamaxw

Posted on 01-07-2016 10:39 | By Crash test dummies

That sums it up now doesn't it.


council monument

Posted on 14-07-2016 22:04 | By papakiwi

Dear Ratepayers, no matter what you say or do the elected Councilors will NOT listen to you when it comes to the new Civic Centre. They would have all made up their minds already, Stuart Crosby wants to leave his legacy even if it costs ratepayers millions and millions of dollars. There is so much work to do in the city and the cost is falling continually on the ratepayers ie the sewage pipeline, the 4 lanes at Turret Rd so we do not need this extravagant building. Even the council building inspectors who are the same ones who approved the current building and leaky homes fiasco will be safe from prosecution as all they have to do is to liquidate the business and start up a new one so they can't be sued for the previous failures. Council Funding is just a licence to print money from Ratepayers


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