After repeated requests for a copy of plans and a conceptual drawing, the Waikato District Council has now provided Raglan 23 with these for the Council’s building project on the corner of Bow and Wi Neera Streets in Raglan. The contractor began working on the project on March 10th. Up till now it seemed that this was a ‘secret’ project and some community board members said they hadn’t seen a copy of the plans. At the March meeting of the Community Board the members were told, “the tender has been awarded”.
A Council spokesperson said, “The work involves replacing and moving the shop front out and removing an interior wall to create additional space, along with replacing the existing counters and installing a new toilet for the disabled. A new roof, guttering and flashings will be installed as well as replacement of all the high level window seals. We are confident it’s going to be a great new space that the community and visitors will really enjoy.”
So far the contractor has gutted the building internally and is now at the stage of beginning to make the changes. The project sign at the site says the work will be completed in July. The WDC website say the project will be completed on 4th July 2014. The Council used an ‘expression of interest’ approach in December 2013 rather a full tender for the project. The contractor for the library refurbishment is Lobell Construction. The value of the project appears to be $300,000 although the Council has $480,000 budgeted for the project.
No wonder they were reluctant to release them until it’s too late to do anything about them. Raglan Naturally (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-kbQyEEQ606TjZVX0hsX3YtNW8) said, “We Aspire To – Commercial buildings in the CBD that have the ‘Raglan look’ ” – or is this Council’s vision for the way the whole CBD should look?
Its incredible that its taken this long to see a plan – I thought I must have overlooked earlier publicity.
They did genuinely appear to want to provide the plans. It just took them a very long time. Not unexpected for an organisation still going through a poorly planned massive management upheaval.
The alterations match the original 1970s NZ Post Office architectural style.