Ōtorohanga Multipurpose Community Hub

Some background to this Ōtorohanga Multipurpose Community Hub project

Our district is growing, and our community has told us it wants to see more vibrancy and investment in key infrastructure to help make the district an even better place to live, work and play.

As part of our response, we’re carrying out a needs assessment and feasibility study to consider a multipurpose community hub for Ōtorohanga. The feasibility study will look at the needs of the community and identify preferred options, costs and funding pathways for a multipurpose community facility.

To ensure that any investment we make in a community hub reflects the needs and aspirations of our community, we are involving iwi partners, stakeholders and arts, culture and community groups in Ōtorohanga through co-design workshops and kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) meetings, and we will be engaging with the Ōtorohanga community throughout the process.

The feedback from our co-design workshops has confirmed the need for more accessible and functional spaces for community activities, arts/cultural activities, meeting social needs of residents and hosting events.

The feedback also outlined challenges around the type and availability of existing community space.

Option 2, which is a network of community venues, has emerged as the preferred option.

Please take the time to read the information below and in the Co-design Workshop 2 Summary.

When testing community feedback with participants from the workshops we held, Option 2 (pictured above) became the preferred choice, as it was seen as a sensible way to resolve the challenges, by making the most of what we have and balancing cost with need.
Within Option 2, there are three types of venue, each with a different focus -

Library, Arts & Connection

The following image shows how the Library, Arts and Connection venue might function.
It is not the final design, it just shows what kinds of areas might fit and what you might be able to do.

Community Services

The following image shows how the Community Services venue might function.
It is not the final design but shows the kinds of areas that could fit and what will happen here.

Civic Venue

The Ōtorohanga Club is adapted to become a shared community, civic, club space for this option. We are still working with the Club to identify what this might look like, but whatever the arrangements might be they must be clear and work for the community- as well as the Club itself.

About the Feasibility Study

The needs assessment and feasibility study will consider whether we need a new building, and if so, what it might look like and where it might be located, and what services and activities it would need to offer. There are a number of options to consider in terms of location and some potential partnership options as well.

The desire for such a hub came from community feedback as part of the 2021 – 2031 Long Term Plan process. The Ōtorohanga Town Centre Concept Plan also identified a desire for a new multipurpose community facility.

If the feasibility study confirms that a multipurpose hub is viable (i.e., needed/supported, affordable, and a suitable location identified), then Council will consider the project as part of the 2024-2034 Long Term process.

Council has appointed Veros as our consulting partner to undertake the feasibility study.

CO - DESIGN WORKSHOPS

We have had two co-design workshops with community groups, artists, and organisations to work through what an Ōtorohanga Multipurpose Community Hub needs to look and feel like.
Our people had the chance to discuss, design, and collaborate with each other.

Co-design workshop #1 - we heard first-hand from iwi partners, stakeholders and arts, culture and community groups about their needs, aspirations and challenges.

Co-design Workshop One- what happened

At the first co-design workshops in October, over 40 members of the community told us their aspirations for a potential multipurpose community hub, who it should be focused on serving, what it needs to include, and how it should work with other services and places that are already supporting our communities across the district.
A summary of the workshop is available here

The workshop group told us it wants:

• Community spaces that reflect the values of Ōtorohanga, are flexible, safe, fit for purpose welcoming space(s) with supporting infrastructure
• A community that is connected with each other and connected to accessible and well-resourced spaces and services that cater to the needs of the community
• Places that everyone feels connected to that are owned and supported by people who connect and understand people
• A space that reflects and honours the past, caters to present needs, and will serve those who will need it tomorrow
• A community space with a kitchen at the heart to promote coming together, collaboration, connection and community.

The kinds of activities that this would support included, flexible multi-purpose meeting spaces, a town hall kind of space, doing spaces and teaching spaces for creative activities, spaces that supported our tamariki, rangatahi and for the older members of our community.

What we learnt through this first co-design workshop, other community feedback, and our research helped us to create three options.

OPTION 1; Status quo – making the most of what we have, with minor improvements to key facilities.

OPTION 2; Develop a network of hubs – build on our existing library and support house hubs to improve and extend what they offer to our community and work with the Otorohanga Club to investigate how to make their existing function area work better for civic and community functions.

OPTION 3; Build a new facility – start from scratch to develop one facility that could provide spaces for all the activities.

Co-design Workshop Two - what happened

In December, the group came together again to assess the three options above. Around 30 people considered each of the options and came up with a clear winner - and also identified a gap we need to take into account.

OPTION 2; A network of venues which create a shared hub was most popular and came out best for;

• Making the most of what we have
• Investing in fit for purpose spaces
• Delivering safe spaces
• Future proofing any investment
• Creating spaces that are welcoming and accessible to meet the needs of the community.

The gap the group identified was in creating spaces for artists to create. This is something that the feasibility study will focus on in the next stage. To answer the questions,

• What would this look like?
• What could Council’s role be in this?

Our next steps will see us developing more detail around Option 2 and in late January, we will let you know how to have your say through a community survey.

-Thanks to everyone that has provided input so far!