Council keen to explore band rotunda options
City developers will be asked to help find a future for Wellington’s Band Rotunda.
After falling into disrepair, the historic building on Oriental Parade was closed in 2012.
Last year, Wellington City Council signalled it would consider options and called for proposals.
On Thursday, city councillors will be asked for formal approval to seek expressions of interest from the market for the redevelopment of the band rotunda.
The council has not allocated any funding in its current 10-year plan because officers expected any work would be fully funded by the successful third party redevelopment proposal.
A council document says its engineers determined the building was not safe for occupation and required extensive remediation due to deterioration of the concrete slab between the upper and lower levels of the building.
Rehabilitation of the building would need to include replacement of the inter-floor slab which was likely to require removal of the upper part of the building.
Any redevelopment would also need to address rising sea levels affecting the lower part of the building.
Given the nature of the structural issues and the closure of the building, no seismic assessment had been completed, so it was not currently classified as earthquake prone, the document says.
Lambton ward councillor Iona Pannett, who holds the Infrastructure portfolio, said she would make an amendment at the meeting on Thursday to instruct council staff to look at all development options.
It was possible there could be an option to sell but the council was more interested in exploring other options first, she said. ‘‘Ownership will be discussed at another time.’’
A solution with a private partner might be the best option.
There had been expressions of interest from operators but the building was in such poor condition, the businesses would not have the ability to restore it.
Proposals would be assessed against criteria that included: commercial viability, construction that was long-lasting, suited to the marine environment and addressed potential climate change.