The meeting was held last week and feedback from a survey was also part of the discussion at the meeting.
The Pantry, run by South Alive Limited, a limited liability company owned by the South Invercargill Rejuvenation Charitable Trust, closed in December last year.
The trust bought the former Bin Inn building in 2016 and started to renovate the space.
The Pantry, comprising a grocery retail section and cafe, opened in 2017 and later community rooms were finished.
South Alive community development and operations manager Courtney Ellison said trust members were encouraged by the community response to the meeting.
"People came with ideas for the space or passion for seeing the space reopened in some way."
Several themes emerged from the discussion.
"A really strong theme in the feedback we received is the importance of the space as a place for connection, and being a welcoming space for everyone in our community so I think that will be at the heart of any decision making around the future use of the space."
The idea the space could provide food and drink and the possibility of holding workshops, events, markets, training or hiring out the space were some of the other ideas mooted.
Trust members would now explore the viability of the different ideas and see how the wider community view the suggestions.
"There is definitely the sense that it won’t be one idea that is the solution, but rather a blend of many of the ideas."
People were encouraged to go away and think about what resources it will take to put the ideas into action.
"We really want to make sure that whatever reopens in the space is going to meet the needs and aspirations of the community but also be sustainable to operate."
