Hastings Council approves $1m toward combined facility

A plan to grant up to $1m towards a $7.8m facility that would keep nearly 5000 service club members in the central city is being put before residents for comment by Hastings District Council.

The building would add to the city’s vibrancy by keeping a large pool of people closely connected to the city’s hub, and provide a brand new state-of-the-art facility that could be used by a diverse range of community groups, councillors said.

The council met today (May 13) and approved, subject to public feedback, a grant of up to $1m for the Hastings Combined Clubs (the RSA, the Heretaunga Club and the Hibernian Club) and the National Service Club, to help them build a new facility on the National Service Club’s Market St site.

Council also agreed to purchase a section of land, subject to valuation, in the light industrial area to the east of the city that the Hastings Combined Club had planned to build its new premises on. That land would be on-sold or developed to recoup the cost.

The National Service Club and the Hastings Combined Clubs are meeting on May 17 and 18 to consider the potential merger and council’s offer.

The feedback process would be rapid because the Hastings Combined Clubs had already started on a new facility outside of the central business district and that would need to cease if the new proposal went ahead.

The cost of the new facility was estimated at $7.8m.

As soon as council had a decision from the clubs that they wished to proceed, it would set up public feedback channels. If the clubs did not wish to proceed no further action would be necessary.

The Hastings Combined Clubs had to be out of its current home on King St by March 31, 2016, when it would be taken over by its new owners. Clearing of the new section, bordered by Hastings, Albert and Victoria streets, had been completed, with construction on the new building due to start on June 1.

The majority of councillors preferred to help build a facility in the central city for the 4700-plus members, to retain vibrancy in the area.

Councillors noted that while the building would be owned by the clubs, it would be a community facility. All the involved clubs had a history of allowing community groups to use their premises for free or a nominal fee, and the RSA in particular had a history of heavily supporting members of the community in need.

The latter had a “strong welfare fund” that contributed to charities such as Meals on Wheels, and paid for initiatives such as subsidising gardening and lawn mowing for residents in need.

If confirmed the grant would be subject to council being convinced that the financial plan behind the proposal was sound, and a condition that the $1m be repaid to council if the building was sold inside 20 years.

The move, prompted by news that the National Service Club building was severely earthquake compromised, was initiated by council rather than the clubs.

Deputy mayor Cynthia Bowers said it was important that feedback from the public was received prior to council making its final decision, likely to be by the end of this month.

Neil Murphy, from the Hastings Combined Clubs, and Dennis Owen, National Service Club, confirmed they would be putting the council’s proposal to special meetings of their clubs on May 17 and 18.

ENDS

© Scoop Media