In 2007, St Columba's Anglican Church and Community Networks Wanaka began developing the idea of a "community house", an idea first floated in the community several years earlier.
A project committee was formed, and funds donated by a parishioner were used to produce concept plans for the building, which would offer meeting, office and administrative space for community and voluntary groups.
An independent feasibility study was carried out in 2009, which determined the proposal was financially viable, provided capital funding could be sourced from community funding agencies.
The church has land available for the community house on McDougall St, between the vicarage and the church, which it has offered to the new trust rent-free for 50 years. The land is owned by the Anglican Church Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board and is the first site to be investigated.
The board of the new trust will initially comprise Anglican Bishop of Dunedin Kelvin Wright, Community Networks chairwoman Dame Sukhi Turner, and Wanaka residents Dr Nick Brown and Peter Southwick. Up to three more trustees can be appointed if required.
"This vision has been a long time incubating. Our task is now to help it hatch and grow," trust spokeswoman Dame Sukhi said.
"The setting up of this trust is a significant step forward. Our first priority now will be to look at resource consent and funding issues," she said.
The original estimated cost for the facility was $1.9 million. The right to occupy the land was estimated at a further $600,000, giving the project an overall value of $2.5 million.
However, that figure was provided two years ago and would require updating, the trustees said yesterday.
Dame Sukhi said it was important to "keep the momentum up" that had been started by the Anglican Church and she was "very positive and optimistic" about the future of the community house project.
Wanaka Community Board chairman Lyal Cocks said he supported the concept of a community house being established on an appropriate site in Wanaka, and the board was keen to work with the new trust to achieve that goal.
