Mr McArthur (65), who is fairly handy in the workshop, has come up with an idea to revitalise a disused building in the heart of Alexandra that dates back to about 1892.
The Vincent Community Board recently called for public submissions on what the council should do with the old stone stables behind the National Bank in Tarbert St.
Mr McArthur thinks the stables, which were repaired after being damaged by fire in an arson attack in 2007, would make an ideal base for a new
Blokes for Sheds group he hopes to set up.
He was inspired by the Taieri Blokes Shed, which operates out of a hangar at the Taieri Airport, and wants to gauge support for setting up a similar group in Alexandra.
Mr McArthur is inviting anyone interested in setting up a steering committee to form a Blokes for Sheds group to attend a meeting in Alexandra next week.
At the meeting will be naval Lieutenant-commander Phil Bradshaw, of Dunedin, who helped establish the Taieri Blokes Shed, which opened in July last year.
Its members use the shed for personal woodworking and engineering projects, as well as helping community groups with projects such as building bookcases for early childhood centres.
Other community projects the Taieri Blokes Shed has worked on include making lanterns for Naseby and working in with the police replacing letterboxes for victims of vandalism.
The Taieri shed is open at set times, with members having key holder access.
‘‘There are a lot of retired people in small ownership flats with no garage or workshop or only a small garage that fits a car only who might be looking for something to do,'' Mr McArthur said.
He believed the stables building had potential as a community workshop and wanted to establish a committee to look at making a submission to the council to use the building.
• The meeting to establish a steering committee to set up a Blokes for Sheds group in Alexandra will be held at the Alexandra District Club on Thursday, August 20, at 10.30am.
- Jenny Collier.
