Boom delays community hub

Contractors will not be able to make up for months of delay on the Albany Community Hub, despite work now beginning in earnest.

Building of the $1.2 million facility on Albany Domain started at the end of November.

But the Upper Harbour Local Board-funded project was about 18 months later starting than expected, board chairwoman Lisa Whyte said.

The latest delay, of five months, was due to Auckland’s building boom, which meant contractors were unavailable.

The project was ready to start in July, so construction could be finished by the end of summer 2017. But, with contractors unable to start until November, the completion date is now the middle of next year.

Whyte said the project had been a long time coming.

The hub was a legacy project from the former North Shore City Council, then was delayed by Auckland Council’s budget cuts.

In 2013, the Upper Harbour Local Board agreed to fund $1.2 million for the project but, with construction prices rising dramatically after then, the project had to be revised to fit the budget, she said.

The current building work was phase one of the hub, including a commercial kitchen, big meeting room, a couple of smaller rooms and extra car parks.

Phase two, to be built as needed, would double the size of the facility.

Whyte said another complication was the Albany Domain Reserve Management Plan, which had to be changed to allow the building on the reserve.

The plan had allowed for just one building in the domain, the small existing Albany House, which will link to the new community hub, she said.

Despite the delays and the down-scaling of the project, Whyte said the community facility was urgently needed in the growing area.

‘‘There are some facilities in the old Albany village but there’s no way that can accommodate the needs of a population that’s one of the fastest growing in the country.’’

Albany House community coordinator Christine Glover said the buiding work by Cassidy Construction was going well due to the fine weather.

Foundations were expected to be laid before Christmas, weather depending.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED The Albany Community Hub, which will connect with the existing Albany House, has faced many delays.