The demolition of the Cromwell Memorial Hall has been pushed back to early 2024 as the Central Otago District Council (CODC) seeks to minimise disruption to neighbouring residents.

Council announced on the Cromwell Events Centre project updates page that they were waiting for the tender to be awarded for construction of the new building to allow time for them to fully prepare the site prior to work starting.

Tenders close on November 2.

The Building Consent application for the construction has been submitted to the council.

That began the process to gain approval to construct the facility and ensure it meets all regulations.

Jasmax, the architects of the project, was approaching completion of the detailed design phase of the project, following endorsement of the developed design by the Cromwell Community Board at their May meeting.

At the same time, work has been continuing with external funders to seek support for the project capital investment.

The tender process for the physical works, including demolition and building, commenced on September 18 when the four shortlisted respondents from the initial registration of interest procurement process were invited to a site briefing by the council’s evaluation team.

This team comprised representatives of Council’s property team and external consultants covering architectural and engineering disciplines. 

At the briefing, the respondents were given a more detailed brief of the project, invited to ask questions, given access to the site to get a feel for the surrounding area of the hall, and had the opportunity to better understand what will be required in their tender responses.

Whilst on site, it was also a good opportunity for Council to emphasise the need for the contractors to minimise disruption to the neighbouring properties throughout the project. 

Until the tenders close, the council will be preparing the contract documentation to ensure all legalities are covered and ready for signing by both parties when the winning tender is confirmed. 

Plans will be made on how the community can say goodbye to the hall before the demolition work starts.