All smiles as heart of town reopens
THE restoration of the ‘‘heart’’ of Bannockburn has been formally recognised, with the 106yearold Coronation Hall officially reopened following a refurbishment project that cost more than $400,000.
A community ceremony was held last weekend to mark the end of the upgrades, which included extensions to the facility such as a meeting room, a new kitchen and additional toilets.
Bannockburn Community Centre Management Committee chairwoman Kerry StaintonHerbert said the upgrades had been a long time coming.
The hall was first earmarked for renovation in 2007, when former committee member Margie Dicey suggested the building be upgraded in time for its centenary in 2011.
But the engineering report that was carried out as part of the consent to extend the facility found the building was at high risk of failure during an earthquake, and in March 2011 the hall was closed.
The hall’s future was left in jeopardy for about two years — as demolition and building a $1.3 million replacement hall were considered — until a second engineering report, which was carried out by a separate company, found the building met the required safety standards.
The hall was reopened three years later and ownership transferred from the Central Otago District Council to the management committee last year.
After the transfer, the committee began working towards upgrading the interior, but the 12week project became a yearlong job, Ms StaintonHerbert said.
‘‘This was meant to be a 12week build. It was actually a 10year project.’’
The hall has been used for functions and events, from weddings to dances.
Ms StaintonHerbert described the hall as the ‘‘heart of the town’’ and an important venue for the community.
There had been a lot of positive community support for the hall’s upgrades, she said.
‘‘This is its heart — it’s as close as you can get to the centre of town.
‘‘It’s a really good central point for Central Otago.’’
Additional upgrades to the site included landscaping and sealing the car park.
Grants from the Central Lakes Trust, the Lotteries Commission, and the Otago Community Trust made the project possible, Ms StaintonHerbert said.
‘‘We felt that was one of the worries of the community — people were fearful it would become a burden.’’
— CO News