Public to get say on land for museum

Christchurch City Council will consult with the community before giving land to Lyttelton Museum.

The Lyttelton Historical Museum Society has asked the council to give it a 316-square-metre property at 33 London St so it can build a new museum. The land, worth $220,000, was the pre-quake site of the council’s Lyttelton Service Centre.

The council decided on Thursday it supported, in principle, giving the land to the society, but it would consult the public before making final decision to proceed with the gift.

Lyttelton has been without a museum since its former councilowned building on Norwich Quay was demolished following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

The collection was saved and more than 8500 items had been catalogued and were in storage while the society developed plans for a new building.

The society has $600,000 but estimated it needed to raise another $5.3 million to construct the building and help with operational costs. Early estimates expect the museum could cost $4m to build.

Deputy mayor Andrew Turner said there was something resonating about the fact the first new building on London St since the earthquakes would be community owned.

Banks Peninsula Community Board chairwoman Christine Wilson said she had never seen a committee so dedicated to a project.

Without site ownership, the society would find it difficult to gain grants from funding agencies, which were reluctant to give funds on a lease basis, council property consultant Dan Egerton said in a report.