Central city site earmarked for covered bowling green
The Palmerston North Bowling Club in Linton St has been chosen as the site for a regional covered bowling green.
The decision on the location of the proposed $2.3 million warehouse-style building was reported to the city council’s culture and sport committee on Wednesday.
The move resolves more than a decade of debate about the location, as previously, the short-listed Palmerston North, North End and Takaro clubs had all wanted it on their turf.
In April last year city councillors gave the bowling community an ultimatum to choose a location or risk losing a proposed $300,000 ratepayer contribution to the project.
Council parks activities manager Aaron Phillips said since then, Bowls NZ had set up a panel, which concluded Palmerston North should host the facility.
The North End club had withdrawn its interest before the process began.
The Palmerston North club, with support from Sport Manawatū, engaged consultants Community Assets Solutions to prepare a business case.
Their recommendations inflate the scope and cost of covering one of the greens.
Initially, a sort of membrane roof with open sides or drop-down walls was envisaged, which would have cost around $1.15m.
Instead, the report recommended a warehouse-style building that was fully enclosed providing better protection from the weather and a higher-quality facility more likely to attract national and international tournaments to the region.
The price tag would be around $2.3m. Councillors are expecting to receive a submission on the draft long-term plan asking for a sum of $450,000 to be included in the budget, possibly in the 2025/26 or 2026/27 financial year.
Because the club owned the land in Linton St, the council’s support would have to be an operational grant from rates and could not be treated as a capital investment that could be paid for from debt.
The council is about to embark on consultation on a draft long-term plan that would already see an 11.3% rates increase in July, followed by increases of 10.2% and 10% in the following two years.
About $350,000 was expected to come from the bowls community.
The balance, $1.5m or 65% of the cost, would have to be raised through external fundraising.
Phillips said finding that amount money would pose a challenge.
He said the council’s support would have to be on the condition that Bowls Manawatū adopted a strategic plan that supported the indoor green as a priority.
Mayor Grant Smith said he was pleasantly surprised the bowling clubs had finally got their act together and come up with a location.
“I’m quite excited it has finally come together and we have got some plans.” of