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the hub set to transform Hick's Park
 Looking to the future: Project manager Phil Waite says the hub is on the way to becoming a reality.
He's now in his second year of working on the $21.67 million project and is pleased to see public interest and support growing as a start to construction gets closer. He's giving audio-visual presentations to a wide range of community and sporting groups around the district and says they're being enthusiastically received.
There are also ongoing discussions with the Sports Complex Trust that administers the existing Hicks Park facilities, the High School and individual sports representatives as well as the project technical team, including architect, engineers and quantity surveyors.
"We hope work will start in autumn next year and that Stage One will be ready for the summer sports season of 2009-2010," says Phil. "That first stage is going to cost about $10.5 million and will involve an extension to the existing buildings that will almost double the area under cover and provide two new courts, to give us a three-court stadium. Some existing buildings will be demolished or moved, and there'll be a new outdoor court area for netball and tennis, along with a netball/hockey pavilion and a new cricket pavilion and rifle range."
He says the second stage, costing about $3.6 million, will upgrade the existing sportshall and stadium and landscape the outdoor areas, including carparking. Stage Three includes demolition of the existing grandstand, building of artificial cricket wickets and the provision of outdoor lighting for the sports fields. The fourth and final stage will include an artificial hockey surface and athletics track.
The latest costings prepared by a firm of quantity surveyors put the total cost at $21.67 million, with provision for contingencies and escalation and Mr Waite said the staged approach took into account the $13.65 million limit on the Council's contribution. Fundraising teams were preparing to approach major donors like charitable trusts for the bulk of the remainder, and South Taranaki residents and businesses were already coming up with ideas to raise their $1 million share.
Phil says the budget is designed to provide a complex that's functional, adaptable and architecturally pleasing. "We wanted to avoid building something that just looks like a big shed and our architect, Bill Jackson, has come up with a stunning design that can actually be built very economically. There'll be a strong entrance off Waihi Rd and the hub will look very inviting to passers by."
There'll be an emphasis on cost-effective, environmentally friendly materials and design. The upstairs lounge in the main stadium will provide views of the action on both the indoor courts and outside on the main fields and a club lounge-bar is included in the plan, along with a stylish cafŽ at the Camberwell Rd entrance.
"We want the hub to be a busy place, not just somewhere for people to turn up for a game or other event and then leave. The design makes it very welcoming and we're sure families will enjoy the facilities," says Phil.
"There'll be on-site management and staff available whenever it's open to help ensure users and visitors have a pleasant experience."
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