After more than 50 years hidden from view for main street shoppers in Balclutha, the graceful arches of the Balclutha Road Bridge spanning the Clutha River are once again visible from the town’s main street.
Demolition workers removed the last visual obstacle, the high stage area of the old Balclutha War Memorial Hall, yesterday as they make way for the new Clutha Community Hub.
Contractors will remove all the building debris and then Calder Stewart will start on the construction, which is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
The view of the bridge from Clyde St will then once again disappear as the $15million project takes shape.
The new hub will include a 400-plus person multi-use auditorium with modern theatre technology, adjustable raked seating and a flat floor stage, and a spacious atrium showcasing local art, history and the district as a whole, designed to provide a platform for local tangata whenua and iwi to share their stories of the district and their links to the river.
Its site was chosen to be a central location for the town’s war memorial and tenanted retail and leased spaces, which will include a modern i-Site, council service centre, Plunket and mini theatre.
There will also be an associated business hub featuring modern technological amenities, and reconfigurable meeting, seminar and co-working spaces.
