Sports House in the Taranaki – a model for regional sporting development
Developing Sports House – lease agreement, planning, funding partners
The following is a summary of some of the key areas of the Sports House project development, including the details of the land lease arrangement, the building plan and contract, and funding of the project.
The lease agreement
Discussions regarding location of the Sports House began at a relatively early stage in the development of the project, with NPDC making an official offer to Sport Taranaki to bring Sports House to Yarrow Stadium. The initial plan was to lease Sport Taranaki land immediately outside the stadium. One of the problems with this plan was that despite the lease being offered at a reasonable rate, the cost and logistics of providing sealed car parking to a building housing more than 50 staff was high. Planning regulations require car parking – one car park per staff member – be constructed as part of any development of this kind.
To help manage the cost of meeting these planning requirements, it was agreed that Sports House should be located inside the stadium precinct. A dual-use car park was built in the stadium for use at events and as a staff car park. Sport Taranaki now leases both the land on which Sports House sits and sufficient car park space for their staff needs. The lease arrangement is flexible and allows for expansion of Sports House in the future.
The project plan and building contract
Having developed a strong rationale for Sports House (investing in RSOs), and having made arrangements for an appropriate location, the next stage was to develop a basic plan around the type of building best suited to user groups.
This plan was made in consultation with project partners. To ensure balanced advice, $60,000 was invested in the development of a comprehensive planning document. The document was developed by an external company in consultation with the preferred architect.
Particularly close attention was paid to the details of the relationship and agreement with the construction company. Alongside development of an appropriate building, a key objective was to ensure a fixed term contract was agreed to, in which building variations were the only variables. This arrangement with the construction company was crucial in ensuring the completion of the construction of the Sports House building on time and within budget.
Funding partners
Prior to seeking funding for the project, the Sport Taranaki team had a comprehensive project plan which included an explanation of the Sports House concept, details regarding the building site and land/leasing arrangements, and specifics of the building requirements and plans, including fixed costs for the project. The plan had to be credible because it would be scrutinised by all the funders.
Crucial in the selling of the concept to funding organisations was the key role of Sports House in supporting the development of RSOs. The response of potential investors to the proposal was positive. The project received $750,000 from TSB Community Trust and $450,000 from NZ Community Trust. The remaining $500,000 was drawn from Sport Taranaki cash reserves.
Project completion and future proofing
Construction commenced in March 2007 and was completed in November 2007, on schedule.
The Sports House building is a modular design and is specifically constructed to allow expansion at minimal cost and disruption to existing business.
Updated | 14 May 2008.
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