Civic House is the clear favourite among Nelsonians who had their say on the city’s proposed new community hub, library and civic space, with almost two-thirds backing redevelopment of the existing site.
Of the 1373 people who picked a preferred option during Nelson City Council’s consultation, 858 chose Civic House. Church St received 336 votes and Collingwood St attracted 179.
Now councillors must decide whether to follow that public support at a full council meeting on Thursday, 5 November, when they choose a preferred location.
The three options went out for consultation in June. The Civic House proposal would keep the council on Trafalgar St, refurbish the existing building and add a new library, community hub and civic space on adjoining land already owned by the council.
The Church St option would create a new facility near the Church Steps, freeing up the current Civic House and library sites for redevelopment. The Collingwood St proposal would move both the council and library to a new purpose-built facility on leasehold land.
Council received 1417 submissions during the six-week consultation, with cost, location and what each site could offer emerging as the main themes.
People who supported Civic House liked its central location, available parking and the fact council services would stay on Trafalgar St. It is also the cheapest option, with an estimated upfront cost of $73.3 million and a 20-year cost of $41.8 million.
But it comes with challenges – the site has a high flood risk, potential building defects and would require about 320 council staff to relocate twice during the estimated 41-month construction period.
Backers of the Church St site liked its location near the Nelson Provincial Museum and the potential to create a cultural precinct. It has the highest upfront cost at $88.2 million, although an alternative design raised during consultation could lower that figure.
Supporters of the Collingwood St option liked the idea of a purpose-built facility and modern community spaces. Its upfront cost is estimated at $74.1 million, but it has the highest 20-year cost at $50.4 million because the council would lease the land from Wakatū Incorporation.
The future of The Free House also featured heavily in feedback, with about 500 submissions mentioning the popular pub and concerns about its future if the Collingwood St site was chosen.
While Civic House attracted the most support, the consultation was not a referendum and council staff have not recommended a preferred site. Thursday’s decision will narrow the project down to one location and allow more detailed planning to begin.
Mayor Nick Smith told Nelson Weekly on Monday that he will be backing the public’s choice to redevelop Civic House.
“Council had a huge response with more than 1400 submissions with overwhelming support for the existing site.”
He says he does not back the Collingwood St option due to it being leasehold. He also says the more expensive Church St plan is the “wrong choice” due to the cost-of-living crisis.
