Progress on Whakatipu community hub
A Queenstown community hub facility is a step closer after the Whakatipu Community Hub Charitable Trust (WCHCT) secured a peppercorn rent on public land behind Countdown supermarket, Frankton.
WCHCT plans to use the about 1.18ha of land, at the north-eastern edge of Queenstown Events Centre, to offer affordable office rental and co-working spaces, to be used by social agencies in Queenstown Lakes.
A 35-year lease has been approved by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), with annual ground rental set at $1.00 per annum plus GST.
Trust chair John MacDonald said the trustees are delighted to have secured the lease after several years of searching for land.
"The planned hub promises a secure community asset which will bring together many of the region's community services to create a warm and welcoming environment, open and available to all in one excellent location," MacDonald says.
WCHCT is initially proposing to build two buildings with associated accessways and car parking, with the potential to add two more buildings if and when capacity and demand require.
"This lease allows us to get on with our planning, and to design, consent and construct the hub. It’s slowly coming together at a time when the need for such a space is greater than ever and continues to grow.
"We are extremely grateful to QLDC and those who have demonstrated to the Council the need for such a facility, as your support is what will deliver this vision."
QLDC Property Director, Quintin Howard, said council's decision would help provide space for community services and modern, purpose-built facilities.
The rent will be reviewed in accordance with QLDC’s Community Facility Funding Policy.
The decision follows an expression of interest received from WCHCT for the excess land after it was identified in the Queenstown Events Centre masterplan.
Formal submissions were taken in December 2022 and January 2023, with the majority of the 25 submissions received supportive of the proposed lease and its duration.
