BUILDING PROGRAMME

At the pre-dawn blessing and sod turning ceremony, June 9. (From left) Judith Taylor, principal, Mayor Wayne Guppy, youngest female student Courtney Bate and local MP Chris Hipkins.

June 9, 2010

The college Board of Trustees has undertaken a property development programme to utilise funding of some $20 million assigned to the college by the Ministry of Education. This follows the lifting of the moratorium on capital projects and major maintenance works at the end of 2007.

Architects Stephenson and Turner have drawn up detailed plans for a new gym facility to be built to the river side of our present river gym. The astroturf and tennis courts will also be relocated to the river end of the college. The successful tenderer for the gym project is Freear Phillips, who have begun preliminary site work. We expect the new gym to be ready for use at the start of 2011.  The building programme has necessitated some rearrangement of our sports fields starting this winter season and the fencing off of a section of land along Moonshine Road where the developments will take place..

The architects have also drawn plans for the rebuilding of several new blocks to replace three of our current Nelson Blocks. This will take place in a number of stages, starting with a new block where the current netball courts and astroturf are located. There has been considerable consultation with staff involved as well as with students, and a visit to Auckland by some key staff to see how new property developments have bedded in there.

Beneath are several architect's drawings of the new gym facility.