Theatre chosen to present redevelopment concept plan

The Gore District Council will present a concept plan of the Gore Library and community space redevelopment at the St James Theatre next month.

The presentation will be held on Tuesday 1 December, starting at 5.30pm.

Chief executive Stephen Parry said there were a couple of reasons the Council chose the somewhat unique option of the theatre to give the public its first look at the draft plan.

“Given this is a significant project for the Council and the community, we believe it deserves a significant venue.

“The exceptional design produced by McCulloch Architects also deserves the visual impact of the big screen.”

Earlier this month the Council approved the concept design developed by the Invercargill architects from the many ideas put forward by the public during the initial community engagement.

There will be an opportunity for further community feedback after the concept has been presented.

“While we have managed to capture a lot of what people told us they wanted in a new library/community space, there may be some aspects of the interior layout that needs fine-tuning,” Mr Parry said.

Without giving too much away, Mr Parry said the concept design was a complete transformation of the James Cumming Wing.

“What we will be presenting is a modern building with a light, spacious feel and appealing façade that will serve the community for decades to come.”

The proposal also gives ratepayers the best value for money, he said.

“We have looked at various scenarios, including returning to the site of the old library. Financially, nothing comes close to the James Cumming Wing as this is the only location that comes with $3million from the Government.”