Meadowbank community centre

The vision is for a high-quality, fit-for-purpose facility to better serve the surrounding and changing communities. The space will be about twice the size of the current centre, and it will be a place to gather, learn and enjoy a wider range of services and programmes.

The Ōrākei Local Board has responded to calls from locals for improvements to community facilities. In July 2018 the board gave the go-ahead to revitalise the Meadowbank Community Centre, an intention set out in its latest local board plan.

The new community centre will be located on the ground floor with homes above. Its design will cater for a mix of new and existing services, including some that are currently provided at premises at 22 Tahapa Crescent, Meadowbank and formerly at 4 Victoria Avenue, Remuera.

The final internal fitout design has been approved by the Ōrākei Local Board and can be found here.

The new community centre will be delivered at no cost to rate payers. It will be funded from the sale of the airspace above the new community centre for the new homes as well as the sale proceeds from the sale of 4 Victoria Avenue and eventually the sale proceeds of the Tahapa Crescent Hall.

Eke Panuku is leading the delivery of the Meadowbank community centre, working closely with the Ōrākei Local Board, Auckland Council, and the community.

STATUS AND TIMELINE

The project has been deferred for 12 months due to challenges in the construction sector and a cost escalation (increase of 30 percent) in the first six months of 2023.

We expect pressures on the construction sector to ease, and we anticipate that this project will recommence in May 2024. 

We signed a conditional development agreement with a development partner, and we will formally announce the development partner to the community once the agreement becomes unconditional.

ACHEIVED KEY MILESTONES

• Selection of the preferred development partner
• Conditional development agreement approved and signed
• Unclassified Local Purpose (Community Centre) Reserve status of the site revoked October 2021
• Resource consent granted for the mixed-use building
• Concept design community centre internal fitout endorsed by Ōrākei Local Board for community feedback
• Key stakeholder and community engagement on concept design and subsequent developed design for the internal fitout completed.

UPCOMING KEY MILESTONES

• Recommencement of the project
• Development agreement unconditional
• Detailed design phase for the mixed-use building concluded and development partner lodges building consent
• Developed Design community centre internal fitout endorsed by the Ōrākei Local Board
• Detailed design and consenting phase for the community centre internal fitout
• Construction by the development partner commences
• Development partner hands over community centre shell for internal fitout works
• Practical completion and code of compliance issued
• Ōrākei Local Board decision on interim operational model
• Meadowbank Community Centre opening
• Ōrākei Local Board decision on long term operational model.