The property at 231 Stuart St has sat vacant since the Fortune Theatre closed in May 2018, costing the Dunedin City Council about $122,000 a year.
The building opened as a church in 1870 and more recently housed New Zealand’s southernmost professional theatre for four decades.
Proposals could soon be sought for the council to work out what its next chapter should be.
Council staff have recommended the property be marketed for sale.
A request for proposals would cover both commercial propositions and community initiatives.
In a report to be discussed by councillors next week, council staff said there appeared to be genuine interest in reuse of the property.
Informal interest had come from community groups and commercial parties.
The property’s location in the central business district ‘‘provides for a wide range of activities including commercial, recreational, residential, community support, large-scale retail, licensed premises and commercial residential activity’’.
It is classified as a category 1 historic place.
Annual operating costs of about $122,000 included rates, electricity, insurance, depreciation and maintenance.
This included ventilation and use of dehumidifiers to prevent mould growth.
A condition report by Flanders Marlow in 2024 determined the building was not fit for occupancy in its existing state.
Significant cost would be needed to upgrade the property.
Respondents could be asked to comment on how their plans might benefit the city or how the building’s heritage would be conserved.
They could be asked to demonstrate an understanding of the building’s condition.
It was constructed for the former Trinity Methodist Church in Gothic revival style and the Fortune Theatre Trust took it over more than a century later, in 1978.
The trust found ownership was unsustainable and sold the property to the council in 2000.
The council said the property had been in a holding state since the theatre left in 2018.
Urgent repairs had been made where necessary.
