In the next few weeks, the second stage of refurbishments at the museum, as part of the Waitaki District Council’s cultural facilities development project, will start.
Waitaki Museum and Archive curator and acting director Chloe Searle said by entering stage two, the facility was on the ‘‘home stretch’’ of the project.
After a four-year closure, the facility reopened in December last year, after the lower level of the historic building was refurbished as stage one.
Formerly used as storage space, the upper level would be transformed to include an education room, rotating and permanent exhibition spaces, and a lift.
The ground level archive and museum storage space would also be upgraded.
The upper floor had been closed to the public for many years, Ms Searle said.
It had never been used as an exhibition space before; the development was allowing for more local stories to be told.
A rotating exhibition area and education room also made for a more dynamic use of the museum, allowing staff to host school holiday programmes and celebrate local anniversaries.
Because the space had been closed for many years, staff already had plenty of ideas about how they would put it to good use, Ms Searle said.
The museum had received more than $1 million from the Government’s lottery significant projects fund for the upgrade.
The council had also contributed, and more external funding was being sought.
During the build, which would be completed by Breen Construction, the museum’s lower level would remain open. It might close for short periods.
Once stage two started, public archive inquiries would need to be done remotely or by appointment.
People wanting to give items were asked to contact the facility first, as it was suspending donations until construction ended to ensure items had the proper care.
‘‘We are thankful for the ongoing community support and patience,’’ Ms Searle said.
The hope was stage two would be completed by the end of the year, she said. After that, museum staff would start the process of setting up for public use.
