### ODT Online Wed, 2 Sep 2009
Design for tender
By Mark Price
The Dunedin City Council hopes to have “engaged” the designers for the new $15.85 million stretch of State Highway 88 past Forsyth Barr Stadium within the next three or four weeks.
Read more
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Filed under Construction, Design, Economics, Politics, Project management, Stadiums
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What if? Dunedin... 
In another thread on ‘Carisbrook’, Stu commented that “that the Council has not yet completed land purchases necessary for the Stadium construction, specifically for the SH88 realignment.”
It seems more appropriate to respond here.
Stu is correct insofar as land south of The Leith is concerned. The acquisition of this land is unrelated to the stadium and is being handled separately by Transportation Planning.
In short, the position is unchanged from comments made by council staff at (I think) a meeting of ISCom some months ago.
The land for the stadium and road realignment north of The Leith is complete although, as Elizabeth noted, some payments are yet to be made.
Richard, apologies for going off on a tangent. I read on the lgtenders website that tenders have been called for refurbishment of the Civic Centre (stage 1 floors 1-7; stage 2 plaza) with work commencing shortly. What’s the basis for this project, especially given the current ongoing feasibility investigation on the uses for the old CPO and the DScene article suggesting one option would be that DCC shift into the old CPO along with library?
Baker Garden Architects have been working on the details – they include, as I understand, an upgrade to building security. Richard will elaborate, but the work required has been in reports and media historically. Having worked in the place on a couple of projects, it has many of the properties of a sick building – hopefully that’s all to be remedied. Saying that, not sure how far the budget can stretch…given some acoustic and ‘use’ separations/changes needed.
The Dunedin Centre/Town Hall project is confirmed as per the LTCCP, i.e. utilising ‘the existing envelope’ plus the proposed utlisation of the Ground and First Floors of the Municipal Chambers.
I am sorry, Elizabeth but I cannot work out what you are referring to. The former CPO?
Civic Centre, Richard. I’ve never seen the brief. Architects been on the job a while now. Surprised to hear from Peter’s post that they’ve got this far into the project… “refurbishment of the Civic Centre (stage 1 floors 1-7; stage 2 plaza)”.
Doesn’t the job take a look at reception areas, security for departments etc, some space flow layout address????
(LTCCP Volume 2, Section One – Group Activities; page 36) In the LTCCP it’s described as “Civic Centre Accommodation Upgrade”: $100,000 (2008/09 Revised Budget); $2,400,000 (2009/10 Budget). Not a big job, my hopes re fixing some sick building properties won’t be covered by these figures…
If you’re referring to the Civic Centre security, there was a major upgrade to the building electronic security system last year, I believe. Talking with the installers, the new system can accommodate for photo ID and even fingerprint scanning access if needed. It was also multi site, meaning that it could be extended to pick up for the Town Hall, Museums, Railway Station, even Moana Pool. It was reasonably sophisticated, allowing for individual elevators, stairwells, or rooms to be remotely locked down for defined periods of time, and it accommodated CCTV. Quite a clever piece of equipment.
Hopefully the building heating and ventilation systems in the Civic Centre will be upgraded as part of the refit. My understanding is that the current system can heat only, and not cool. Except for the lucky few on the second floor who have air con units. There is a simple radiator heating system, with a ducted fresh air supply. There’s a basic air filtering system, but nothing of the calibre needed to restrict the movement of diesel fumes, or bacteria. There is no humidity control, which is especially vital in the call centre areas where people talk a lot. I could extend that comment to the second floor, but I won’t. The exterior walls are uninsulated, although there is double glazing throughout. It leaks air like a tent. The original design of the building was to be open plan, with all the heating placed around the perimeter. With the building of individual offices and corridors, the result is an overheated exterior, and an underheated core.
Frankly I think the last upgrade, in the late 90s, was a pretty poor effort on the part of the designers. High time to drag it into the modern era.
Thanks Phil. Part of the security issue is the public accessibility issue…safety of the workplace, how reception areas keep the public in the right domain, and not grabbing stuff out of offices during work hours…
I wonder what happens, as part of the upgrade, to the existing tenanted shops in the Civic Centre. I would imagine that they must have long term lease agreements in place ? Or maybe the proposed design leaves them where they are.
This is the RFP, which closed on 28 August:
LGOL-429157
‘Dunedin City Council
The Dunedin City Council has been planning to upgrade the Civic Centre building, accordingly a suitably experience main contractor required to work in conjunction with the project team to complete this project.
The redevelopment strategy is to be constructed in two phases, namely:
Stage 1, Level 1 to 7
Stage 2, Plaza level
Targeted start date: 1 September 2009
Completion date: 21 April 2010’
Personally, I don’t think there’s a need for reception areas on every floor. They are notoriously cold for the poor staff who have to work there, and they take up huge amounts of floor space. These should be combined into one centralised main ground floor reception, with no need for anyone other than staff to progress past the ground floor. Negating the security issues. It’s a convenience issue for the public too, knowing that you don’t have to try and find your way around various floors to track down people from different departments. Stay in one place and they can all come to you. That’s public service. And I’m sure is all part of the master plan.
Excellent, thanks Peter.
Agree Phil – going to meetings upstairs given the Otara Room and Mayor’s Lounge on Level 2 is easily managed. Not sure what they’ve got planned for ‘staff training’ rooms and other small meeting rooms on that level and higher where we get whisked for committee, planning, strategy and various other meetings.
Due to the Call Centre, the (camped out) ‘service centre’ and other spaces (some leased) on the Plaza level not sure there’s a lot of room to bring these semi-public meeting functions down the building…would love to see the plans!
I recall from my discussions with the installers that the security system, which I THINK is called Cardax ( or something along those lines ), can also integrate with the other building services sytems. Which would mean that lighting and ventilation systems for each area can be turned on and off automatically as people swipe in or out. Which I thought was rather energy efficiently clever, and well worth publicising. I don’t know if the Civic Centre has incorporated these or not. Apparently it remembers how many people have swiped in, so doesn’t try and shut everything down when the first person exits. I thought that was pretty cool.
My apologies, Peter/Elizabeth – I misread Civic Centre as Dunedin Centre!
The intention of the planned changes is to make better use of the floor spaces and have the public counters on the lower floors for reasons etc that have been referred to above.
The fact that the internal fire escape is a principal means of public access to the counters on Floor One where building and resource consents etc are processed rather underlines the deficiencies that exist.
Oh yes! Putting SH 88 through the Civic Centre is not an option!
Richard,
For the properties south of the Leith, do the funds for purchase come out of the existing land budget (which is currently over by about $10m) or a new budget (e.g. under Transportation Planning as you indicate)?
Since recent purchases for industrial land (Awatea St and Carisbrook) seem to set quite a high value, one would assume that this would also be the case for the other properties…Is this going to lead to more of a budget blowout or is it handled by Transportion’s budget? (my estimate is roughly $10m for the remainder)
The funding for the realignment of SH88 apart from the piece around the stadium site (some $1.5/$1.7m) has always been separate and provided for accordingly.
If by ‘Land Budget’ you mean that for FB Stadium, there was no budget ‘blowout’ in the sense of that term. The increase in the cost of the stadium from $188m) occurred principally because of the adding back to the expenditure side of the budget the $5.5m originally anticipated by the CST to be the surplus realised from the sale of Carisbrook.
So, it was not ‘a blowout’ and certainly won’t have any effect on land values in the stadium area.
I am not in any position to comment in regard to what land values might be south of The Leith.
That is a job for the valuers acting for the parties concerned of which, of course, DCC/LTNZ will be one.
My guess is that other leasehold properties currently being sold in the area e.g. by Chalmers Properties, might have more relevance.
Update to the above:
I checked today and find that the $1.5m/$1.7m “extra” to Council (i.e. over and above what would have been spent on the SH88 realignment BS – before stadium) could be on the high side.
The best is apparently $500,000, the worst $1.1m or thereabouts. All depends on several factors relating to alterations to the overbridge at the foot of Frederick Street. The gyratory which was a major part of the cost is – as previously advised – gone!
Richard:
“My guess is that other leasehold properties currently being sold in the area e.g. by Chalmers Properties, might have more relevance.”
Not relevant to the sale of freehold properties, though. That’s a different kettle of fish entirely.
I was actually thinking of the Chalmers Property offers to sell the freehold of the properties they own in the area. Lessees get first opportunity to purchase.
The university leases the former radio broadcast studios on Albany St, located within the site to be freeholded. Haven’t looked up the maps, so not sure if the university’s interest relates to whole or part of the subject site.
I do not have the details, but understand the properties Chalmers are currently offering for sale (or have sold) are all in this area.
Chalmers Properties would be the owners of the land that the former studios were on. The University certainly own the capital improvements.
It would be a surprise if they did not buy the land now they have the opportunity!
Why does consultation with DCC not mean a letter re options to every affected property and the householders. First. Richard.
Know how dreadful the harbourside consultation was. Know how dreadful the parking consultation was. Theory isn’t the practical conclusion plonked on unwitting people by uncaring unthinking councillors. The name of this website does remind of another problematic and highly divisive handling of “consultation”. Gee.
That said. Your comments are thoughtful here.
From September to February and still SH88 realignment-related land purchases not complete.
Tender for work not yet let.
Hmmm.
This is a showstopper.