Group Sought For Future Of Roy Stokes Hall
A community group is needed to steer the future of New Brighton’s Roy Stokes Hall as an arts, culture and entertainment hub.
ChristchurchNZ is now calling for interest in the stewardship and management of the Hall for community use. Interested parties can search for the listing in the Government tendering system GETS.
Open to ideas and options for governing and running the popular community hall, ChristchurchNZ’s General Manager Urban Development Cath Carter says the successful group will bring a focus on the local community and experience in looking after shared spaces.
“New Brighton’s revitalisation is really taking off, boosted by public projects like He Puna Taimoana and the beachside playground. There are also some major housing developments underway and we’re continuing to support local businesses to improve the commercial area around the mall and bring more people to the seaside suburb.
Cath Carter - General Manager Urban DevelopmentThe Roy Stokes Hall sits on the former New Brighton School land, part of which will soon be home to a new residential development. We’re now looking for a group or organisation to step forward to run the hall and make sure it can be retained as a community arts, culture and entertainment hub.
Life in Vacant Spaces piloted a creative hub in the space over the past 12 months to test the concept and increase the number of people using the hall. This has included some upgrades to the hall and has shown its growing popularity and suitability as a community hub.
The Expressions of Interest process is now open and ChristchurchNZ welcomes questions about the hall. Clear criteria has been set for groups making a proposal through the EOI, including the establishment of three key outcomes for the hall which will see it become:
- A community-led hub that supports local arts, community groups, and events.
- Ongoing shared use and availability to the local community.
- Led by an experienced governance group to ensure sustainable operation and maintenance.
ChristchurchNZ’s urban development team works with the community and private sector to enable and deliver projects that support the sustainable economic growth of Christchurch. This ranges from supporting private sector developments in key areas, through to promoting innovative approaches to managing places and spaces that meets the needs of the community.
