Pegasus Post: April 29, 2021

PEGASUS POST Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday April 29 2021 3
Proposal for community to take
over former sports complex
• By Bea Gooding
A HIGH performance sports
centre in Burnside could
potentially transform into a
dedicated community recreation
facility.
The city council is currently
seeking feedback
on whether
residents would
like to see a
community
recreation group
take over the
Apollo Project
Bridget
Williams
Centre behind
Jellie Park.
The existing
owner, High Performance Sport
New Zealand, will be relocating
to Parakiore Recreation and
Sports Centre next to Hagley
Park once it opens next year.
Now, the city council must
decide on what should happen
to the building and determine
whether it could be retained.
Fendalton-Waimairi-
Harewood Community Board
chairwoman Bridget Williams
hoped to see the centre utilised
as effectively as possible.
She hoped to see sports
groups making use of the space
that required large courts and
high ceilings, and to see the
space being hired out to the
community.
Said Williams: “It’s about making
use of the space as effectively
as possible. Giving back to the
community is fantastic, but it’s
about making sure this particular
facility is not going to come to the
expense of ratepayers, and if the
community organisation has the
capacity to pay for it.”
The 2300 sq m centre was originally
intended to be a temporary
building to provide training
facilities for high performance
athletes and teams after the February
22, 2011, earthquake.
If the community supports
it, a recreation group will take
full responsibility for the facility,
which includes a full-sized
indoor netball court, a strength
and conditioning gym, a 40m
running track, showers, offices
and meeting spaces.
The city council has recently
completed an initial request for
proposal process, where early
POTENTIAL:
High
performance
sports complex
Apollo Project
Centre next
to Jellie Park
could turn into
a community
recreation
facility.
PHOTO:
CHRISTCHURCH
CITY COUNCIL
submissions were received from
interested community recreation
groups.
It could not disclose which
groups had applied as the city
council was still considering
their applications.
As determined by the Jellie
Park Management Plan, groups
could include basketball, netball,
gymnastics, cultural, accessibility
groups, or sports and fitness
providers.
Once public consultation
closes next month, submissions
will be analysed.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: What
should the Apollo Project
Centre at Jellie Park be
used for once the existing
owners relocate to another
site? Email your views to
bea.gooding@starmedia.
kiwi
Potential users and an overview
of feedback will be considered
by the Fendalton-Waimairi-
Harewood Community Board. It
will decide whether the process
should be continued.
Following this process, a
public notice with names of
interested parties will be issued
and residents will be able to
provide feedback on if they want
that particular group.
If no objections are received,
the lease will be awarded.
Residents can discuss the
project with city council staff
on Tuesday at the Apollo Centre
entrance off Ilam Rd, anytime
between 4-6pm.
To make a submission by
May 13, visit https://ccc.govt.
nz/the-council/consultationsand-submissions/haveyoursay/
show/406
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