Karori Event Centre - We've got it open!!

Heather Baldwin from Karori Community Centre

KARORI EVENT CENTRE - WE’VE GOT IT OPEN!
It’s an exciting day for the Karori Community Hall Trust with Wellington City Council agreeing to fund the completion of the Karori Event Centre. It is hoped to be open early next year.

This is the result of many months of negotiation between WCC, the Trust, Karori Community Centre and Footnote NZ Dance. This has, of course, required compromises to be made by all.
The proposal includes:
a. The Karori Event Centre Fitout completed and the hall opened to the public (by the beginning of 2021);
b. The Trust gifting the building to the Council for community purposes (in consideration for which the Council will fund the fitout and ongoing operational costs);
c. Securing Footnote as a not-for-profit anchor tenant of the hall, who would use space between 9 am - 5.30 pm weekdays (off peak time for community use) for 32 weeks a year; and
d. The hall remains available for community use at peak times (evenings and weekends) plus a further 20 full weeks of the year.
e. The Trust will continue to be interested in the building, and their future role will include supporting the building and its operation with fundraising and providing community input with regards to its future use for example.

This is the culmination of over 15 years of campaigning by Karori residents for a replacement community hall. In 2007 WCC leased land to the newly established Karori Community Hall Trust. Fundraising started
in 2011 (although stalled by the Christchurch earthquake).

By 2017 the Trust had raised $2.8M. This was made up of $800,000 from the community, $600,000 from local philanthropic organisations,
$500,000 from Lotteries, and a $610,000 advance from WCC for the future sale of the St John’s site (a previous community asset) and a $310,000 grant. This meant there were enough funds to complete the base build although a number of grants were due to expire. The Trust decided to go ahead and a secure, weather tight building shell was
completed in January 2018, under budget.
 
The Trust then continued fundraising to complete the Fitout. Phase One of the fitout started in October 2019 and included the kitchen, back and front of house toilets and meeting room, with a budget of $170,000. Work was interrupted by the Covid19 Lockdown but is only one week away from being finished and will also be under budget.

Until the remaining Phase Two Fitout is accomplished (which includes flooring, suspended ceilings, lighting, electrics, ventilation, acoustic linings and insulation) the hall is not able to be used by the
public.

While the Trust were still receiving donations and grants, the final sum for Phase Two is needed as an entirety. Fundraising sums have become smaller and many funders have already made considerable donations. At the rate it would take some years to raise the $1.2m required.
The Trust is also incurring $30,000 per year in costs (insurance and maintenance).

The Trust submitted a request for support to the 2019 WCC Annual plan and councillors agreed to work with the Trust to find a solution to getting the building completed. Towards the end of last year Footnote was identified as an interested party and this proposal was developed to enable the building to be finished.
‘The Trust is immensely pleased with this outcome,’ says Trust Chair, Lee Wilson. ‘The hard work by the trustees and advisors, community support and partnering with Council and Footnote will see
an amazing Event Centre in Karori, bringing more resilience and vitality to the Western Suburbs.’