Almost 600 people took the opportunity to see first-hand the progress of Wairarapa’s newest multipurpose community centre last Saturday.
The verdict from the first members of the public to view the Carterton Events Centre construction site when it opened its doors for the open day was overwhelmingly positive.
"It’s absolutely wonderful,” said Ross and Mary Smith. “It will be a real bonus to the town. It is obvious the people behind it have put in a lot of effort." Pim Willemstein described the centre as ‘absolutely fantastic and very user friendly’.
"It was cool," was the reaction of four-year-old Ashlee Purvis. Eight-year-old Jaide O’Leary was ‘speechless’. "It's great, very worthwhile - I believe it will become the hub of the community," South End School principal Rod O'Leary said.
Carterton resident and patron of Wellington’s St James Theatre, Tom Keating, said the centre, particularly the auditorium, was ‘very impressive’. “It is better than I thought it would be and it’s clear that excellent planning has gone into it." Mr Keating said he would be actively promoting the centre in Wellington as a top notch venue to stage shows and plays. “My imagination runs overtime with what could be staged here.”
Noel Horsfold of Fielding described the centre as ‘amazing’. “Something similar was done in Fielding and it has definitely brought new life, visitors and business into the region." Mrs Lola Birchall suggested the centre would ‘put Carterton the map’. “I have lived here all my life and I think it's fantastic," she said
Masterton resident, Dale, loved the centre’s ‘take on the old and new’ and the concept of a place for people from the cradle to the grave. “This centre will provide a real pathway for the community - what a beautiful idea."
Progress on the $6 million facility, due to open in October, is well-advanced with all sections of the site now fully-defined and covered. Tours of the entire construction site were led by the project architect, Mayor and others with knowledge of what the centre has to offer.
“It was fantastic to see the genuine excitement and understanding of the concept on the faces of people who came through the centre,” Carterton Mayor Ron Mark said. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and we have more people interested in contributing to the fundraising effort which is ongoing.”
The council-owned centre in Holloway Street includes New Zealand’s oldest working public library, a Category 2 historic building which is being fully-restored and extended. The new town hall/auditorium includes high-quality infrastructure that will enable it to host amateur and professional performing arts groups. The acoustically-designed space with removable seating for 300 people will also be able to host conferences, exhibitions, meetings and social events.
A youth centre will provide a robust, dedicated space for young people and children will benefit from new Plunket rooms and a toy library. A large foyer will double as an art exhibition area and information centre. Modern meeting rooms will provide comfortable places where locals and visitors can gather.
The Carterton Events Centre Trust is nearing its target of raising $1.5 million to assist with the centre’s construction. |
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