Russelle Knaap provides CityWatch NZ with an open letter based on what was sent to Hamilton City Council regarding the Founders Theatre before its demolition. Russelle Knaap was involved with the campaign to save the Founders Theatre.
The Theatre has now been demolished and Hamilton City Council has now put considerable funding into a new theatre.
Hamilton City Council recently voted (5 to 7) to demolish ‘The Founders.’ The projected cost for demolition is estimated at almost $3.7 million? History suggests this cost will escalate.
Did you know, Hamilton Public Arts Trust T.O.T.I. presented a fully costed plan to retain, restore, rejuvenate, and expand the Theatre for the people of Hamilton for just $10 million!
Councillors have rejected T.O.T.I.’S plan with a majority vote of two. Why the indecent haste to tear down a building full of the memories of generations and which was funded by the people of Hamilton? Why the indecent haste to close it in the first place?
- Did you know That in March 2016 The Founders was closed urgently with Council C.E.O stating that an Engineering Report by ‘Securias’ had identified a public ‘Safety Risk’?
- Did you Know that the Securias Report in fact had made no recommendation to close the Theatre?
- Did you Know that the risk identified by Securitas was deemed an “unknown risk?” Not because a risk was identified, but because they did not have the expertise to measure the structural strength of the Flying mechanism. This meant they could not certify it as ‘safe’.
Why then, did C.E.O. Richard Briggs recommend immediate urgent closure of our Theatre citing ‘public safety’ when no attempt appears to have been made to engage a specialist to review the Flying System?
- Did you know, that in 2014 The ‘Shand Shelton Report’ had identified some minor issues with the Flying system. Page 22 gives a remedial cost of just $116,350+GST!! This option does not appear to have been considered after the closure of the Theatre in 2016.
- Did you know that Instead of a cost effective ‘Shand Shelton Report’ ‘fix’ Councillors were presented with a $20 million refurbishment option which included large extensions including a restaurant? (29th Mar 2016, Aaron Leaman, Stuff)
- Did you know that despite the Theatre allegedly being a Safety Risk and lying dormant since 2016, Hamilton Police are currently using the building for exercises? (24th Nov 2020, Nikki Preston, NZ Herald) How odd
TOTI Hamilton’s foremost patron of the Arts has a fully costed plan to retain ‘The Founders’ as an asset for the community to use and enjoy for not much more than the cost of demolition. Given Councils track record on cost blowouts it may even be a cheaper option.
Why was this Theatre closed on dubious grounds and why have 7 Councillors voted to level it to the ground?
If you want to know more, we recommend you visit the following sites.
1 https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1212/S00047/happy-50th-birthday-founders-theatre.htm
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Further reading on this issue
OPINION: Margaret Evans’ submission on the Hamilton City Long-Term Plan
