The Dunedin Gymnastics Academy has secured new premises after the closure of its Willis St gym late last month.
The club was forced to close the doors to the Willis St gym after the discovery of asbestos on the rafters, windowsills and some of the equipment.
It also had to abandon contaminated equipment worth an estimated $120,000.
It was a major blow for the club but the news is improving.
The academy has signed a three-year agreement to lease the building at 6 Otaki St.
DGA president Louise Taylor said there were some conditions which needed to be worked through.
The agreement is subject to the club obtaining both resource consent and change of use approval. However, Taylor does not anticipate any problems.
"If we can get those over the line with the council then we are good to go,'' Taylor said.
"We've met with council staff and they are really supportive, so we are really confident those approvals will go through.''
All going to plan, the club hopes to get the keys to the facility on August 1.
The venue has plenty of floor space with no pillars for the gymnasts to avoid. Car parking, access and the amenities are good.
"It is a great building. It's ideal.''
Asked if the building would cost more to rent and whether fees would rise to cover costs, Taylor declined to comment.
However, the club's resources will be stretched as it seeks to replace what it has lost.
It has reached an agreement with North Harbour Gymnastics to purchase a competition sprung floor. Taylor would not
disclose how much the floor cost but in an email said "they have given us a great deal in recognition of our situation''.
"It is a great start but we still require a significant amount of gear, primarily matting. It is looking like we'll need $100,000 worth of gear, so we are looking for funding for that.''
The club has started a Givealittle page and donations had passed the $6000 mark.
"Every little bit helps and we are delighted that people are contributing.''
The club is also putting funding applications together to help pay for a new sprung floor.
If successful, the new floor would be used in the Otaki St gym as a tumbling strip, with the North Harbour floor used at the club's Vogel St gym.
The DGA has 600 registered members and operates from three gyms.
