The overall project budget for the development of the community hub is $12.5 million, which was approved by Council at a meeting held on Thursday 4 August.

Alexander Construction have worked alongside Manawatū District Council previously, most recently to deliver the new Manawatū Resource Recovery Centre on Kawakawa Road. Mayor Helen Worboys says that having an already established a positive relationship with Alexander Construction can only be beneficial.

“We’re extremely pleased to have Alexander Construction on board with this project. They did a fantastic job of the Resource Recovery Centre and we believe that they will do an equally good job of this community hub,” says Mayor Helen Worboys.

The previous library was used for many different purposes including school holiday and afterschool programmes, workshops, events and meetings. Referring to it now as a community hub was more reflective of what the space could be used for within the wider Manawatū community added Mayor Helen.

“We have the best little library in New Zealand and the levels of service that our staff achieved given the limitations of the building has been quite outstanding. They do more than just books and resources and once the new building is in place, we want to this be somewhere that our residents can congregate and connect with each other, hence it becoming a community hub, and this will benefit all residents, not just those in Feilding,” says Mayor Helen.

The new community hub will see the current building earthquake strengthened to bring it up to the required standard, and an extension to the build which will increase the overall footprint of the space to almost double its current size. A new roof will also be installed.

Council’s Community Services Manager Adie Johansen says that access to the new Community Hub will provide the local community with opportunities to look after their own needs, exploring ways to manage health and emotional wellbeing in this this ever changing age.

“Increasing community wellbeing in the Manawatū District, especially in this post COVID-19 climate is crucially important. The facility aims to provide a collaborative and culturally-inclusive community space to meet the community’s needs and we will be working with groups in the community to enable a broader range of services to be delivered,” says Adie.

The overall budget of the project has increased from its intial estimates in the Manawatūmeke 10 Year Plan, due in part to delays and supply chain issues caused by COVID-19. However, Council will be applying to the government’s Three Waters Better Off Fund for $3.76 million, which will offset some of the extra costs given the delays.

Council has also been successful in applying to some third party funding organisations, with $150,000 from New Zealand Community Trust, $400,000 from Central Energy Trust and another $400,000 from the New  Zealand Lotteries Community Facilities Fund. There are also further third party funding applications in progress.

The development of the community hub will start in September 2022 and is due to be completed by mid 2024.