Gore council could move to department store
The Gore District Council has confirmed it is in talks with H&J Smith about moving to the top floor of the retailers’ Gore store while its own offices are remodelled.
Council chief executive Steve Parry confirmed the council had ‘‘engaged in dialogue’’ with the company, but it was too early to say whether the council would move to the building.
An upgrade of the council’s Civic Building has been signalled since 2009.
Parry said work on the upgrade was progressing and he would present plans to councillors and staff in the new year.
A report released in May found the stairwells of the building meet less than 34 per cent of the building code and require earthquake strengthening.
‘‘We were going to just carry out earthquake strengthening in the foyer area but that was going to result in a pretty ugly entrance to the building so we thought we were better off looking at the whole upgrade.
Moving to the top floor of the department store while construction work took place was ‘‘in the mix’’, Parry said.
‘‘We want to talk to them about their plans, not just about the first floor. They are an iconic retailer in the CBD.’’
The council’s 10 Year Plan says the civic administration building was constructed in the 1960s, when ‘‘customer service expectations were a lot different, the role of local government and the laws it operated under were simpler, we had a lot less staff, and the internet and emails were not even heard of.’’
The council says it needs a building that is fit for purpose and it has an obligation as a responsible employer to provide a safe workplace.
It has budgeted $5 million for the upgrade, funded by loan, which will include building an extension to the south, over a carpark.
Construction is scheduled to start in the 2019/20 or 2020/21 financial years.
H&J Smith confirmed earlier this month that it was consolidating all of its retail space to the ground floor of the Main St department store, beginning with the closure of the Junction Cafe on October 13. Company chief executive John Green said the soft furnishings and home linen departments would move to the ground floor after the Christmas trading period.