These are the fate of the Cromwell Mall, built in 1985 after the flooding of Lake Dunstan for a government-led hydro-electricity scheme, and the Cromwell Memorial Hall, built in 1959 by the community.
Up to 95 people were scheduled to speak at the Central Otago District Council’s long-term plan hearing in Cromwell yesterday.
Only a very few did not take their five minutes on the planning-issues soapbox.
Cromwell citizens contributed hundreds more submissions, totalling 1466 pages, in writing. These accounted for 60% of the 852 submissions received from the wider region.
Many speakers repeated or agreed with points made by others.
Praises were limited to the recent opening of the Bannockburn to Clyde cycleway.
Councillors were rebuked for spending 20 years debating the fate of the old, cold Memorial Hall near the lake.
The council’s preferred position is to progress separate hall and mall developments together, which was supported by 285 submitters.
Almost as many, 235, want an arts, culture and heritage centre built on the hall site first.
"Let’s just get on with it," many people said.
Almost all speakers said a 2000msq m cultural centre would not be big enough for future needs.
They said the Cromwell Cultural Centre Trust should drive the cultural centre project, because it would be better at fundraising and would make things happen when the council could not.
Resident Kate Borrie said the Memorial Hall “may well be the issue the community flexes its muscle on” and warned "where individual councillors stand on this may affect voting”.
Not everyone wanted to knock the hall down. Community volunteer David George said, “I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or be angry" about it, but “Stick your hall ... I won’t go along with it”.
Business owners criticised a suggestion the council buildings in the mall could be demolished and rebuilt on the same site.
Senior Active spokesman Gordon Stewart said car parking issues should be sorted.
Smiths Way property owner Richard Peebles called the mall "unsuccessful".
"Cromwell needs a heart, a centre, and you have not got one," he said.
Other business owners said the civic buildings could be leased or repurposed for retail and hospitality and the council could build a service centre elsewhere.
More submissions will be heard in Alexandra today.
- By Marjorie Cook
