A Roxburgh asset that dates back more than 80 years is getting a facelift so it can serve the Teviot Valley for another half century.
The refurbishment of the Roxburgh Sportsground complex was expected to cost between $80,000 and $120,000, sportsground committee member and project manager Patrick Quinn said.
The building was constructed in 1926 and it was redeveloped in the early 1980s.
‘‘It's a good sound structure, but getting a bit tatty so [it] needs a facelift,'' Mr Quinn said.
New showers, new kitchen, access ramps and redesigned changing rooms would be included in the upgrade.
‘‘It's one of the biggest assets for sports functions we have and there's nothing else like it with grounds nearby.''
The committee was open to ideas for raising the necessary funds, he said.
‘‘We already plan to open a work bank so individuals and local businesses can sponsor hours of labour as their contribution to the project if they want. That's certainly one way people can help out.''
The building had been maintained on a shoestring for the past five or six years. Although the Roxburgh Rugby Club owned the lights at the grounds, there had been no senior rugby played there for about eight years.
This season Roxburgh is joining forces with Alexandra to field a senior reserve and an under-18 team and it will share the home games with Alexandra.
The changing rooms in the complex will be redesigned to accommodate and host representative rugby and other sports. The venue is already used for rugby training by the under-14 Otago side and by the Otago Country squad.
Mr Quinn said the Otago Rugby Football Union and Roxburgh Community Board had backed the plans to upgrade the complex.
‘‘They're 100 per cent behind us.''
The late Alan Michelle was the driving force behind the building being refurbished last time and he would have approved of the current plans, Mr Quinn said.
Mr Michelle, who died last month, was a stalwart of the Mt Benger A&P Society. The society holds its annual show at the grounds and uses the complex.
‘‘We want to accommodate all the users and get these plans off the ground so this building can be used for at least another 50 years,'' Mr Quinn said.
