Plans for a controversial "glass clip-on" atrium in Harrop St - part of Dunedin's planned multimillion-dollar town hall redevelopment - could be deferred if city councillors support a new version of the $45.4 million project.
The "alternative" town hall option would see work conducted in stages, focusing on refurbishing and redeveloping the Glenroy Auditorium, Dunedin Centre and Municipal Chambers to provide additional conference facilities.
The new option, detailed in a report to the Dunedin Centre subcommittee, would allow councillors the option of deferring any decision on the glass atrium.
The measure follows prolonged public criticism led by protest group Hands off Harrop, which opposes changes to the streetscape and views.
Compiled by Dunedin City Council strategy and development general manager Kate Styles, the latest report concluded the glass atrium would make "no real difference" to the viability of the complex under the new plan.
Work on the ground and first floors of the Municipal Chambers would allow for three large conference rooms, while the Glenroy Auditorium would be refurbished to create a "truly multi-use space", catering for orchestral concerts and conferences of up to 350 delegates.
Construction would cost an estimated $50 million if the atrium was included, but would drop to within the project's $45.4 million budget if the atrium was deferred.
Deferring the atrium would mean the loss of some foyer "crush space", but the plan provided the best economic return to the city "with or without the atrium", the report said.
Hands off Harrop founder Judith Medlicott last night said she would be watching to see how events unfolded but would support the town hall development as long as it did not include "any atrium of any kind".
"We would go along with it, not a problem, as long as they don't intrude on to Harrop St," she said.
Mrs Styles' report - which contained no recommendation - will be presented for further consideration to the council's Dunedin Centre subcommittee tomorrow and the council's economic development committee on October 14.
Committee chairman John Bezett last night said he retained "some reservations" about the latest proposal and felt the business case for additional conference facilities had been answered "without question".
However, opponents of the atrium "should take some comfort" from the proposal, even though it left open the door to building the atrium if future demand dictated it, he said.
"Certainly, there has been quite dramatic movement away from the options we have been looking at for the last few years.
"It's democracy at work," he said.
Members of his committee, who would make a recommendation to the next full council meeting on November 3, could support the "alternative" option - with or without an atrium - or back one of two previously suggested options.
One, "option 13", abandons the atrium in favour of expanding the town hall's facilities into the Municipal Chambers and providing additional conference facilities, at a cost of $48 million.
The second, "option 14", has a smaller atrium in Harrop St, no work on the Municipal Chambers and only limited improvements to conference facilities, at a cost of $46 million.
