Concept designs for new Waikato Regional Theatre released

The concept designs for the new Waikato Regional Theatre have been released, showing an increase in seat numbers following public feedback.

The designs, prepared by international theatre consultants Charcoalblue on behalf of Momentum Waikato, have detailed floor plans, elevations and more detailed concepts, adding to the initial designs released in 2017.

Momentum Waikato CEO Kelvyn Eglinton says the submission process for the theatre revealed a lot of support for the project, but also flushed out worries about the size of the theatre auditorium.

“We were really pleased with the feedback we received from all around the Waikato region and from user groups. We have listened to that feedback and we’ve increased the seat numbers in the theatre from 1,100 to 1,300 on the back of this.”

Parking and accessibility at the new theatre

Many submitters were also concerned about accessibility at the river-facing theatre, which will be built on the old Hamilton Hotel site on Victoria Street. It will have dual access from Embassy Park (home of the Riff-Raff statue) on one side and Sapper Moore-Jones Place (formerly Marlborough Place) on the other. Equipment vehicles will use the Sapper Moore-Jones Place access.

“Charcoalblue have worked with the National Symphony Orchestra, taken their largest truck and mapped out turning circles and the parameters they’ll work within when they use the new theatre.” Mr Eglinton says the NSO would have the largest trucks and equipment of any of the theatre users, so it was important to ensure they could be accommodated with appropriate traffic management in place. 

He says submitters also raised parking as another item and this is being dealt with in several ways. “We know how well it works when the rugby is on and there’s a managed approach to getting people out of the stadium and back to their cars or into town – that’s an approach we’ll be taking when there’s large events on at the theatre. Waikato people are well used to this, and it works well.”

Recent events in the heart of Hamilton such as the Chinese Lantern Festival and the rugby Sevens “warm-up” party showed the city can easily cope with absorbing and dispersing people, he says.

Mr Eglinton says while parking is a city-wide issue, there are several hundred carparks available within 400 metres which is just a few minutes’ walk from the theatre. A count of carparks shows a total of 2,200 parks in buildings or streets nearby. Disabled access will obviously be accommodated, he says.

Other proposed projects, including the Ferrybank development and potential for a walking and cycle bridge from Memorial Park, would also increase access when leveraged as projects in tandem with the theatre, he says.

Costs and funding

The Waikato Regional Theatre project has been costed at $73 million, including a 20% contingency. Mr Eglinton says the required geotechnical work has been done on the riverbank site and shows the land is appropriate and safe for the theatre building foundations.  

Funding of $30 million for the theatre is planned to come from local councils, Trust Waikato has committed $15 million, $16 million will be sought from central government, sponsorship or Lotteries funding, and the balance is expected to come from generous families and organisations in the Waikato region. 

In 2016, Hamilton City Council agreed in principle to spend up to $30 million towards a theatre, and Momentum Waikato and the Council commissioned Charcoalblue to run the process.

Mr Eglinton says residents in the Waikato region will get excellent value for their councils’ contributions. He’s encouraging all residents to make submissions to their respective councils to support the theatre. Submissions to Hamilton City Council close at the end of April. 

“For Hamilton City Council’s $25 million contribution, the people of Hamilton will be getting a world-class theatre that puts us firmly on the culture map. Momentum Waikato is capping the cost to ratepayer in the region at $30 million and we are carrying any risk on this project.”

He says the project meets the needs of the city and region and will create a vibrant creative precinct that will transform the city centre and inspire the local and wider community. “This theatre is a truly regional project that everyone can enjoy, just like the Waikato Stadium, Claudelands, the Avantidrome and Mystery Creek.”

“Hamilton is the fourth largest city in New Zealand and the Waikato is the third largest regional economy. The time has come for us to build the creative and cultural elements that other cities already enjoy.”

New hotel proposal

The design of the new theatre has shared public spaces, a public art gallery and retail space, and also a lifestyle hotel. The areas to be shared between the theatre and the privately developed lifestyle art hotel will allow for cost savings and provide shared spaces for meetings, conferences and events. 

The cost of incorporating the hotel, gallery and retail spaces are not included in the Momentum Waikato recommendation, as these will be developed privately, but the sharing of these facilities is expected to provide many synergies and economies of scale. 

Mr Eglinton says calculations show it will not be cheaper to build anywhere else. “The shared costings with the proposed hotel mean we have been able to keep costs for the theatre lower while still delivering what will be an international-level theatre.”

The hotel would restore the original façade and some internal elements of the old Hamilton Hotel, which is recognised as a heritage building. 

Timeframes for new Waikato Regional Theatre

The next phase of the project is the “preliminary design” which gives greater visibility of and confidence in technical and budget requirements. This is due in September 2018, followed by the “detailed design and documentation” phase in February 2019 and calling for tenders in March 2019. The new Waikato Regional Theatre has a planned opening date of June 2021.

How the new Waikato Regional Theatre will operate 

Two entities are planned for the new Waikato Regional Theatre. 

One trust will be a Property Trust and be responsible for the property management and maintenance of the theatre such that any investment made by local government and funders is maintained in line with an appropriate asset management plan. Hamilton City Council has agreed to an annual grant of $1.3 million which will act as the base fund for the Property Trust with other required capital maintenance funds coming from operational revenues.

The second trust will be an Operating Trust, initially funded through seed-funding, and this will enable the management and operational aspects of the theatre business eg promotions, education, bookings etc.