Wellington's convention centre could be repurposed if market doesn't bounce back - mayor

Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Jackson is giving staff bonuses that will inject big bucks into Wellington. Here he is at Mayor Andy Foster's 2019 campaign launch.

ANALYSIS: To convene or not to to convene, that is the question. The $180 million question, to be a bit more precise.

The well-trod Shakespeare line - somewhat repurposed - is deliberate. The playwright's works have made us either smile or experience tragedy, and this feels prescient as Wellington and its city council face a huge question: Do we push on with the convention centre, or redirect the money towards something else more worthwhile for the city and region?

The question is being asked - by readers, councillors and former public servants: Do we really want or need a convention centre? The very concept has been questioned since it was first mooted - but that is now getting louder, given predictions that Covid-19 will put a massive full stop behind the convention business, or at least a lengthy semi-colon.

Wellington City Council has already spent $60 million on a convention and exhibition centre opposite Te Papa. (File photo)

Mayor Andy Foster has made it clear that backtracking on construction work is not an option. The council has spent too much on that to date and stands to lose even more should it breach construction contracts.

**READ MORE:

* The disaster that everyone saw coming

The 18,000-square-metre convention centre is being built opposite Te Papa between Cable St and Wakefield St. (File photo)

* Revised plans for $179m convention centre

* Peter Jackson movie museum still alive

A Te Papa exhibitions hall was proposed to replace the failed Sir Peter Jackson movie museum. (File photo)

* Convention centre may host star expos

* Why Wellington needs convention centre**

Already about $60m has been pumped into design, land purchase, earthworks, and building materials, and the council would be liable for tens of millions of dollars in damages should it pull the pin. On Wednesday, Foster said construction work would resume at the centre when the country comes out level four lockdown next Tuesday.

But Foster has left open the possibility of repurposing the facility should the convention market remain moribund when the building opens in three years' time.

He says that is unlikely, but such a rethink would require interior fitout changes and, presumably, thought through well before the building opens.

Last week, the issue was thrown back into the spotlight when the council listed the convention centre as one of a number of shovel-ready projects which could help reboot Wellington's economy following the coronavirus lockdown.

Many disagreed with forging on with the plans, with some calling for the building to be used for something else, such as a new library.

Foster's admission adds further uncertainty to a project which has already been scaled back once. The initial plan was for the centre to open alongside a Sir Peter Jackson movie museum, but that fell over following a serious of disagreements between Jackson and the council.

Foster still expects the convention market to bounce back by 2023 - at least domestically - and argues the facility was never meant for large numbers of international visitors.

But with the city facing stiff competition from Auckland and Christchurch, now may be the time to consider those other options a little more seriously.

WHAT DO COUNCILLORS THINK?

Stuff asked Wellington city councillors about their thoughts on possible repurposing of the convention centre. This was what they said.

Diane Calvert: It's very early days yet … we know WellingtonNZ are receiving bookings for [the centre] even now. I've had advice that it still has quite a bit of validity as a small convention event centre. It can be used in many different ways and I'll never say never, but nothing as yet suggests we need to replan. That time may well come over the next few months.

Jennie Condie: I've asked officers to prepare updated advice about how they think Covid-19 might impact on the financial estimates in the centre's business case. I'm open to the idea of repurposing it. I've certainly asked about whether it could house the city library.

Fleur Fitzsimons: I just think it's sensible to consider all options for the convention centre. I think the library needs to be a part of this - Wellington is really missing the central library. It might not be the right location, but I think we should at least not rule it out.

Laurie Foon: I am open to re-purposing the convention centre if required. In fact it might be a good design requirement for future projects, that there is always the ability to repurpose for other uses. However, I am committed to making sure Wellington has fit for purpose spaces to keep the capital a first choice for people to come and do business here.

Jill Day: From my perspective, Wellington does need some sort of convention facility. Last year we had the Local Government New Zealand conference in Wellington in the TSB arena … [there were] pigeons flying around it and one [defecated] on someone, so we do need a facility to host significant large groups.

Rebecca Matthews: I haven't really heard anybody saying they want a convention centre, so I'm very interested in seeing if the business case stacks up post-Covid and if we can re-purpose it, particularly for the library. What I hear very strongly is [residents] want a new central library space.

Teri O'Neill: Pending some pretty good business cases, I would totally support the re-purposing of the convention centre. The displacement of our youth with the Reading Cinemas and Central Library closures has been an issue. We know that a lot of people have struggled finding a place to study outside of the cold.

Iona Pannett: I think meeting will still be important. I wouldn't have supported the centre if it had a large overseas market component. [Regarding a library] I've been told that's difficult, and it hasn't been designed in that way. I'm open to alternatives but piles are in the ground, contracts have been signed.

Tamatha Paul: In my mind there's a real gap in Wellington city in the way of medium-sized venues. We constantly lose international acts and musicians. We have small venues like Meow and San Fran and large venues like the stadium, but nothing medium-sized to attract those kind of artists.

Sarah Free: It's actually the business community paying the lion's share of the money to build it. People have said why can't you [have] a library there, but the building's location, design and funding are all about the opportunity to promote Wellington's economy with a modern, high-quality space for small-medium conventions.

Sean Rush: If we've got an asset that's not being utilised fully, the smart thing is to re-configure it I wasn't involved in original decision, I wouldn't have supported it originally while the wastewater treatment plant was unfinished.

Malcolm Sparrow: Things have changed a lot. We may end up completing it for the purpose it was originally intended for, but that may or may not be the most sensible way to go. It would be sensible looking at other options. It's not too late.

Simon Woolf: We do have to be careful because we committed some time ago to a project. Bearing in mind our partners are good Wellingtonians, you would hope that they could see what was happening and perhaps help us adapt if that was necessary. We signed off on convention exhibition centre, I think potentially there's more viability in that exhibition side now.

Nicola Young:If we start re-purposing the building, it will make consultants very happy because they'll keep working on different designs. It's quite a flexible space but let's not muck around with it because it'll just increase the costs. If it doesn't work for conferences, then we'll have to look at it again.