Central Otago District Council will assess the pros and cons of two possible sites for a replacement Roxburgh Entertainment Centre, more than a year after the building was destroyed by fire.

The first is the Scotland St property the former building stood on, while the second is, for now, unknown, but put forward as an option by a member of the Teviot Valley community.

CODC community experience group manager David Scoones said the council would only consider options submitted through a request for proposal (RFP) process.

That process closed last week, with one alternative site put forward.

“The exploration of alternative locations was initiated by members of the Teviot community, not by council staff,” David said.

“Only one alternative site proposal was received from the RFP, which will be assessed alongside the existing site as part of the formal process.”

Council staff will now prepare a report for the Teviot Valley Community Board and full council to consider at meetings in March.

Until then, the location of the alternative site has not been made public.

“The report will become publicly available when the agenda for those meetings are released,” David said.

“Until then, no additional information can be provided.”

David said the site investigation would assess the advantages and disadvantages of each location, including timeframes, costs, and overall benefits to the community.

“The assessment will also consider any relevant goals and aspirations outlined in the Draft Teviot Valley Community Plan,” he said.

The Roxburgh Entertainment Centre was destroyed by fire on Waitangi Day 2025.

The former site, on Scotland St, has been cleared and remains vacant.

In documents supporting the RFP, the council said the process was intended to invite alternative sites that community members believed should be considered alongside the Scotland St location.

The project steering group and Teviot Valley Community Board previously sought approval to widen the project scope to allow consideration of alternative sites.

That change was approved by the council in December, despite early opposition from some in the Teviot Valley.

Elected members said at the time thorough due diligence was needed to ensure any rebuilt facility was future-proofed and aligned with community needs and aspirations over the next 50 to 100 years.

Read more: Council approves Roxburgh site investigation after push to stay put and Teviot Valley resident questions council poll on Roxburgh hall rebuild

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