Opotiki Library redevelopment
It's been a while since we last spoke with you about our library redevelopment project - Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi Technology and Research Centre. We want to move forward with our plans but unfortunately attempts to get external funding have been unsuccessful. So, instead, we're looking at paying for the project through external loan (from the Local Government Funding Agency). Because of that change, we wanted to know if you still supported our vision for full redevelopment.
We recently provided three options we wanted your feedback on. These included the status quo (staying as we are), small scale redevelopment, and our preferred option of full scale redevelopment to increase the services and facilities we can provide to the community. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, and each has a different financial impact.
Our preferred option (3) fulfils a long standing community aspiration to deliver a greatly improved facility for the people of the Ōpōtiki District. There would be expanded space available for improved and new services within the library including lounge, study and meeting rooms, research and technology areas as well as significantly enhanced digital connectivity.
You can view architect's conceptual drawings of Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi Technology and Research Centre PDF, 276KB to learn more about our preferred option.
Feedback closed 4pm - Wednesday, 14 August 2019. Thank you to everyone who provided their preferred option and comments. All feedback will now be compiled and presented to Council at a future full meeting of Council.
| Option 1 - Status quo (doing nothing) | |
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What this gives us: -Continued operation of the library out of a privately owned building (ANZ building) This option assumes: -Paying $40,000 per year for rent of the ANZ building. Advantages: -None Disadvantages: -Ongoing costs to community | What this option costs: - The annual rental cost equals approximately an additional $7 per rating unit, or $2 per $100k of capital value of property, per year.How our debt will increase: -No increase in debt. How the service we provide would change: -None. Continues to provide existing limited library services that Council believes to be inadequate now and for the future of our community. |
| Option 2 - Small scale redevelopment of library | |
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What this gives us: - A facility measuring approximately 300m2 - that's a similar size to existing library- Provides same/similar services as existing library.This option assumes: -$1.9 million build cost -Loan funding of $1.1 million and external funding of the balance. Advantages: - Reduced size of loan- Council owns entire site and can start building as soon as we get consents.Disadvantages: - Requires new drawings to be prepared and resource consent and building to be obtained- Provides a limited range of services and benefits to the community- Puts grants we've already applied for at risk- Increasing services in the future would cost significantly more and those costs would exceed those in Option 3. | What this costs: - The increase in costs to service the loan over the life of the asset would offset the savings that we receive by not having to rent the ANZ building. As a result, there is no increase in rates over the status quo (option 1). How our debt will increase:-Requires an increase in debt of $1.1 million. We would remain within our self-imposed debt levels. How the service we provide would change: -Provides improved range of services. |
| Option 3 - Full scale redevelopment of library (this is our recommended preferred option) | |
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What this gives us: - Building Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi Technology and Research Centre as per our concept plan and drawings- A facility measuring 712m2- Significant enhancement of the range of services and benefits we can provide to the community.This option assumes: - $4.75 million build cost which includes a generous contingency, including assumptions around ground preparation costs- Loan funding of $3.25 million, and reasonable assumptions around getting external funding of the balance- Income of $30,000 from things such as cafe/coffee house and boardroom and hot desk rental.Advantages: - We already have detailed drawings- Resource consent is in place and building consent has been applied for- Provides a much greater range of services and benefits to the community- Less risk of losing existing grants we've already applied for- Likelihood of getting additional external grant in the future.Disadvantages: - Larger loan and annual cost to community- Council still needs to acquire ownership of neighbouring property. | What this costs: - We save by not having to rent the ANZ building- We get income from rental of some spaces in the library- The cost is approximately an additional $10 per rating unit, or $2.70 per $100k of capital value of property, per annum.- That's about $3 more per rating unit than the status quo, or a $0.70 increase over status quo per $100k of capital value of property, per annum.How our debt will increase: - It would go up by $3.25 million. That means we would go over our "low growth" self imposed debt level in the last year of the Long Term Plan (LTP). Council has already proposed to review the "low growth" status in future LTP's to follow actual rather than proposed growth. If we move to a "high growth" status then we would not go over our debt levels.How the service we provide would change: -Significantly improved level of service. Greater range of services and benefits will be provided to the community. |
