Mayor Justin Lester says the lodging of the consent application is another exciting milestone for the project.
“Once it’s strengthened and refurbished the Town Hall will be a central point for civic functions and will also play an active part in Wellington’s cultural life as the home of the New Zealand centre for music excellence.”
Wellington City Council is collaborating with Victoria University’s New Zealand School of Music and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to develop the Town Hall as a centre for musical performance, culture and the arts in Wellington.
The Council will seek expressions of interest from contractors in February. Earthquake strengthening work is scheduled to start in late 2018, with completion scheduled for 2021.
In June 2017, the Council approved the Town Hall upgrade. The work will include re-piling and ‘base isolation’ - the building will rest on flexible pads that lessen shaking during an earthquake.