Construction companies wishing to tender for the job of redeveloping the Whakatāne Museum and Research Centre have just a few more days to register their interest.
The Chairman of the governance group overseeing the $5 million-plus redevelopment, John Pullar, says there is a considerable amount of work going on behind the scenes as this important heritage project gathers pace.
“The registrations of interest process opened early in January and will close on Friday, 3 February. We’ll then assess which companies to invite to tender for the project, with a view to letting the contract for the redevelopment in early May and getting construction underway immediately after that,” he says.
“This is an exciting time for the Museum and for everyone with an interest in preserving and creating better access to our District’s heritage. The Museum holds a collection of national and international significance, with more than 100,000 objects, 600,000 photographs and a superb collection of rare books. The redevelopment will allow the Museum team to showcase more of these treasures, as well as creating purpose-built facilities for educational groups and researchers to discover our unique heritage.”
Mr Pullar says the introduction of comprehensive climate control throughout the facility will also play a crucial role in preserving the Museum collection for future generations to enjoy. “That’s of crucial importance, because while the collection is worth an estimated $10 million, many items are unique and irreplaceable. This is our opportunity to provide the environmental conditions required to preserve them properly.”
Meanwhile, planning is also underway to engage the wider community in the redevelopment process. Museum and Arts Team Leader Hamish Pettengell says this will provide a number of opportunities for people to “get involved” and be part of the fundraising activities required to complete the redevelopment project.
“The Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage and the Whakatāne District Council have both committed $1.5 million to the project, and we’ve also received significant grants from the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board and the Eastern Bay Energy Trust,” he says. “We’re now looking to get other community funding agencies involved in the project and are well advanced on planning for a ‘Heritage Month’ and a major gala function in May. We’ll be making some announcements about both of those activities shortly.
“The Museum team is also working hard to prepare parts of the collection for relocation so that there’s no risk of damage during the construction of the new facility.”