Designs for a $6 million community centre in Stoke have been given the thumbs up by local residents, who say that the facility will create a positive “focal point” for the suburb.
The new venue, to be built at Greenmeadows Park, is what deputy mayor Paul Matheson calls “part one of the jigsaw for Stoke” and will be home to both community and sporting facilities.
It will feature a main hall, function and “breakout” rooms, kitchens, offices, changing rooms, and storage space for rugby, tennis and cricket clubs.
The concept design plans for the facility, which have been designed by Nelson architects Jerram Tocker and Barron, were unveiled to the Stoke Seniors last Wednesday by Paul Matheson, who says that they thought the design was “very good”.
“They liked the plans, but they were also concerned with functionality of the building, such as if the toilets were in the right place and if there was enough disabled parking,” says Paul.
Plenty of ramps and somewhere to store mobile scooters were also a high priority for the seniors and Paul says they will get a say in all the finer details, right down to the type of chairs they get.
“They really want to be based somewhere which will allow them to grow, and the community centre will allow them to do that,” says Paul.
Members of the Stoke Rugby Club, who are helping to fund the facility, are also happy with the design. Stephen Fitzgerald, who has been part of the club since he was five years old, says that he thinks it’s great. “It’s a good overall design for the Stoke community, and great for the rugby club to have a proper space.”
Stoke business owner Mary-Jane Bailey of Lemon Tree Lane is also impressed with the design. “It’s nice, I quite like it,” she says. “I think it’s going to make a focal point for Stoke, which we don’t have. The whole place is so disjointed at the moment.”
Across the road from Greenmeadows Park, at the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, shop keepers Jacky Evans and Ann Heppell were also enthusiastic about the plans. “I quite like the look of it, it’s probably what Stoke really needs,” says Jacky. “As long as there are plenty of ramps,” adds Ann.
Stoke residents, both young and old, also thought the design was fitting for Stoke. “It looks nice and modern. It fits in with the other new buildings around here,” comments younger resident, Ruby Hall.
90 year old Nathalie Baird, who lives at Summerset Retirement Village, hadn’t heard about the development, but was happy to hear there would be a new community facility to lift the area, which she describes as “depressing”. “It’s rather bad in Stoke, lots of shops have gone.” To her, the design was ‘fine,’ with her only concern being that it was earthquake proof.
The council’s Community Serv ices Committee met last Thursday morning to discuss the concept plans, and Councillor Pete Rainey, chair of the committee, says that the design was well received.
During the meeting, extra features were added to the design, which have now pushed the original $5.6 million budget over $6 million. “We want to add a bi-fold door to split the main hall into two so it can be a flexibile space, and we are also adding a photovoltaic solar power generator” he says. “This will push the budget over $6 million, but we want to get it right.”
A cafe for the facility was also debated. “There is room for a cafe to go in, but it hasn’t been green- lighted,” says Pete.
The potential cafe site will be used as a meeting room for the meantime.
