The Dunedin City Council needs to make some kind of decision before signing off its 10-year plan, and deliberations about that are happening this week.
The hall has been at the council-owned Dunedin Railway Station since 1999 but is under threat of closure and a $50,000 lifeline from the council ends next month.
In January, councillors put off wrestling with the hall’s future, partly because they expected a report by Recreation, Sport and Leisure Consultancy to provide them with more information.
That report, commissioned by Sport New Zealand, was due at the end of March, but has still not landed.
A firm previously engaged by Sport New Zealand, Manuireva Consulting, found it was not essential for the hall to stay in Dunedin.
The consultancy found closing the site at the railway station would be a constructive step towards developing a more sustainable and engaging hall of fame.
Councillors have been provided with no update since January about how the hall has been getting on with evaluating potential sites.
Sport New Zealand was the hall’s biggest backer when it was providing $100,000 annual operating grants, but it suspended them last year.
The council has declared its level of annual support has been as high as $77,390, in the form of a property grant of $46,880 and supplying a rental at half price.
Cr Lee Vandervis said short-term thinking from the council could result in the avoidable closure of the hall.
"I think there’s value in the heritage of sport," Cr Vandervis said.
"Here is another facility Dunedin might lose.
"There’s been no report, no consultation — no real feedback about what the public wants."
Christchurch has emerged as a potential host and it is understood Dunedin’s Edgar Centre has not been ruled out.
The multipurpose indoor sports venue in Andersons Bay would need to be extended to host the hall and Alan McKenzie, of the Dunedin Indoor Sports Venue Trust, said the feasibility of this would be considered at a meeting today.
A lot of sports teams came from outside Dunedin to play at the Edgar Centre, Mr McKenzie said.
The trust leases the building from the council.
Businessman and philanthropist Sir Eion Edgar said he would consider making a capital contribution to any building work.
Sir Eion said the Edgar Centre was a logical home for the hall, because it already attracted people interested in sport.
The hall of fame’s steering group is expected to call for expressions of interest to host the facility.
Councillors have been asked to consider if the council should put in a bid, although this option looks expensive.
Council staff estimated $650,000 would be needed to upgrade the exhibition and making the hall part of the council’s arts and culture set-up could come with a price tag of $628,000 in operating costs.
However, there is some scepticism about the applicability of the latter figure.
Running the New Zealand Rugby Museum, which is part of the Te Manawa science and museums complex in Palmerston North, costs nowhere near $628,000 a year.
Another option is to provide interim support for the hall until a decision is made about its final location.
The hall of fame has indicated it would need up to $100,000 to remain in operation for 2021-22.
