The draft masterplan for Pokapu Kawarau Remarkables Centre was presented to the public in late May 2006 and has been hotly debated by councillors and interested parties ever since.
In July 2005, the Queenstown Lakes District Council proposed the centre would house a 750- to 800-seat auditorium, a 250-seat playhouse, rehearsal areas, art gallery and cafe, artists studios, community workshop and meeting areas, conference facilities and possibly a library and creche.
There would be 350 underground car parks on two levels beneath the centre and provision for another 200 spaces under Stanley St.
The centre would be built where the car parks are on both sides of Ballarat St, between Stanley and Henry Sts. The land is Crown local purpose reserve designated for a community centre and parking, and is also designated for a community centre under the council's district plan.
A working party chaired by Jim Boult brought a recommendation to the council in September last year that the project proceed.
Councillors resolved to undertake a value management workshop to see if there was a case for an all-round value centre, but the project was delayed by the local government election.
Further delays were caused by the council's search for appropriate independent facilitators and its work on the long-term community council plan.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes said the centre proposal was "still there, still live".
A value management workshop was scheduled for later this year to re-test the components of the project as recommended by the working party then report back to the council.
"That was to build an underground car park on the site, a community arts building, a performance auditorium and an area of flat-floor meeting space that could be used for conferencing, but in the medium to short-term would be community space that could double as an art gallery."
Plans for the playhouse, dedicated gallery and open-air amphitheatre were "left for the future", Mr Geddes said.
The suggested first stage of centre was estimated to cost $43.6 million for the auditorium, community arts building, siteworks and site services, excluding the car park. The council had a policy of encouraging the private sector to build car parks and three parties had expressed interest in the centre's lot.
Mr Geddes said the working group would address how private sector finance could get involved and he expected a successful response given the international reputation of Queenstown.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council had a capital works budget of more than $500 million for sewerage, water and roading over the next decade, which put the cost of the Remarkables Centre into perspective, he said.
Mr Geddes said a detailed analysis would be made of the project's impact on rates and financial contributions from new community members after the value management workshop met.
Mr Geddes estimated one year's work for the consent process and detailed designs. Construction could start in 2010-11 and take at least 12 months.
Car park construction could start earlier, depending on if or when the council and community committed to it.
"I sense there's a very strong community demand for the centre. We have pathetic performing and and visual arts facilities in this town and I think our lives are poorer for that."
Queenstown residents often had to travel out of the Wakatipu to enjoy live arts events, he said.
"If you have a high-quality visual arts and performance centre, you can put on exhibitions and shows which will attract a different kind of visitor to Queenstown and increase their length of stay. That has been the experience of other resorts in the world we keep an eye on, like Aspen and Whistler."
