The community board is shouting eureka at the idea of a replica mining village in Alexandra.
At a meeting yesterday, the Vincent Community Board piled on its support for the Alexandra Miners Village and Riverside Park and agreed to pay $25,000 for half the estimated cost of its business case and to maintain its green areas, should it go ahead.
The proposal is for a small village of replica buildings and relics of the gold-mining era on vacant land beside the Criterion Hotel, in Tarbert St, where miners had a camp in the 1860s.
The proposal includes the construction of a terraced park and moorings across the road from the village, on rough land beside the Clutha River.
Board member Russell Garbutt said it was one of the most exciting projects he had seen in the town.
''It will also link that area with the water, which a lot of people have been talking about.''
Project instigator Rory McLellan said he had been trying to get the project going for the past few years.
The Central Lakes Trust was interested in being involved, but wanted to see input from the Central Otago District Council first, he said.
A report to the board said the village would be a multipurpose facility that would support food and tourist-related commercial businesses, services and amenities.
