Fears council will U-turn on arts centre building plan
Frustration’s growing at delays by Queenstown’s council in green-lighting the relocation of a former downtown arts centre to Frankton’s Country Lane retail precinct.
The local art society formerly operated the Queenstown Arts Centre for 20-plus years from the council-owned old schoolhouse building in Stanley Street.
Since the society’s lease terminated last May, the council’s had the building removed from its strategic assets register to allow it to be moved — or demolished.
In the process, submissions heavily favoured retaining the building, and there was support to move it to Country Lane, opposite the Events Centre.
Country Lane subsequently tendered for it.
Co-owner Tineke Enright says they’ve had verbal approval their tender’s been successful, but not anything in writing, despite repeated requests.
‘‘We don’t know what the problem is.’’
Her sister-in-law Annika Grant, who’s operations manager, says they’ve heard the council wants the old building removed by June, so the site can be used as a construction laydown area, similar to what’s on the other side of Ballarat St.
Enright: ‘‘We sort of get the feeling they’re sort of wanting to backtrack and we’re really frightened they’re just going to demolish it, that’s my suspicion.’’
Grant says they’re wanting the building to again serve as a visual arts hub.
‘‘We’ve got probably eight people in line who are keen to be involved in having a space in there in some way, shape or form.
‘‘We are a commercial operation, but in our proposal we’re giving them heavily-discounted space for community use, so we’re helping the community along.’’
Grant says they put in a price to relocate the building, ‘‘but we’ve told council numerous times we’re happy to negotiate’’.
Enright also has a personal attachment to the building — her dad, Bill Grant, was schooled there.
New councillor Matt Wong tells Mountain Scene he’s also disappointed in how long it’s taking to get clarity over the building’s future.
‘‘I would hate to think it would be destroyed.
‘‘I’m certainly advocating for it not to be, and that it should be repurposed down at [Country Lane].’’
Council sharing details in ‘next few days’
Meanwhile, former art society president Diane Hart, who fought against its demolition during her time, says she’s ‘‘absolutely frustrated’’ with the continuing delay.
She believes Country Lane’s owners put in a ‘‘good tender’’.
‘‘We all sat together and prepared a tender document — there were all indications the tender would be given to Country Lane.
‘‘It was months ago, and just nothing’s happened.’’
Scene reported in 2021 local architect Ed Elliott, who has an interest in heritage buildings, estimated this one dates back about 100 years.
‘‘It was part of the first high school, it’s got wonderful rimu floors, beautiful stud heights and great light,’’ and was ideal for what it was being used for.
From a technical perspective, it could definitely be moved, albeit in sections, he says.
He added it would also be wasteful to demolish it as council had spent a lot, just a few years earlier, on seismic-strengthening, replacing the roof and putting in new plywood walls.
Elliott’s also drawn an artist’s impression of what it would like at Country Lane.
Council spokesperson Sam White comments: ‘‘Since the expressions of interest process closed, we have been working through the costs and practicalities of transporting the building to its proposed new home, given Country Lane’s purchase proposal.
‘‘We will be able to share more details in the next few days.’’
