Next step in multi-million dollar project

The winning tender for the construction of a multi-million dollar Ararat Arts Precinct redevelopment will be announced next month.

Ararat Rural City Mayor Paul Hooper said yesterday’s closing of the tender for construction works process marked an important milestone for the $6.235-million project.

“We’re on track to award the contract this month so that we can begin on-site works in April,” he said.

“This is very exciting for us after so many years of careful planning.”

Cr Hooper said regional and national companies had submitted tenders for the construction phase.

He said compiling the tender documents had been a major task for the council and the appointed architect, Williams Boag and Associates, with 200 technical drawings and more than 500 pages of tender specifications making up the list of documentation.

“This is a very important historical site, and there are numerous issues that need to be taken into account to protect the integrity of the town hall and other buildings,” he said.

“We’ve not seen a redevelopment of this magnitude in Ararat before.”

Built in 1898, the stately Ararat Town Hall – now the Ararat Performing Arts Centre – is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Cr Hooper said the project would include refurbishing the existing building, with an extension to create a larger gallery.

Other additions will include a café, green room and new storage areas.

Cr Hooper said the performing arts centre’s interior would also undergo a facelift.

“Outside, the project includes some civil works and landscaping around the building’s exterior, so this very prominent corner site will certainly look very smart when it’s complete,” he said.

The Ararat Arts Precinct redevelopment is jointly funded by federal, state and local governments, with a community fundraising effort currently underway.