Courthouse work documents going out
TENDER documents for the redevelopment of Oamaru’s historic courthouse are being worked on and are due to be sent out soon.
Waitaki District Council property manager Renee Julius said the documents would be sent to two selected Oamaru businesses and two from out of the town.
The building consent application for the work was still being finalised, she added, but it was anticipated it would be granted by the end of this month, in line with her team’s expectations.
The consents were to undertake structural strengthening works, she said
The courthouse in Thames St closed in 2011 when it was identified as being at risk in an earthquake.
Court has largely been held in a portable facility, known as the ‘‘portacourt’’, in Humber St since then.
The Waitaki District Council first entered talks about taking over the Oamaru Courthouse in 2014.
In 2016, it bought the building from the Ministry of Justice for $1.
Once strengthened, the building would be leased back to the ministry for use as the town’s courthouse.
The building work was scheduled to begin in November, Mrs Julius said, but that depended on which company won the tender and their programme of work.
‘‘This is outside our control and will be determined by the successful main building contractor and their resource availability. Developments are happening. Things are buzzing. The town is humming.’’
Tenders closed at the end of September.