There is no plan B for the $205 million redevelopment of the Canterbury Museum if a multimillion-dollar Government funding application is rejected.
The budget for the redevelopment plan has been cut after it blew out by 23% from $195m to $245m due to rising construction costs and inflation.
The rise meant that earthquake protection measures planned for historic buildings in the museum had to be scrapped to bring the budget down to $205m.
The ambitious redevelopment plan involves demolishing large parts of the museum built between the 1950s and 1990s, restoring the historic parts of the complex, and incorporating into the museum the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, which would be leased from the Christchurch City Council.
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But the project has a funding shortfall of at least $80m.
Canterbury Museum Trust board chairperson David Ayers said they hoped to soon have a decision from the Government on their funding application.
“We are hopeful that it will be quite soon,” he said.
“Plan B is to sit on our hands for a while. We can’t go ahead without the government funding.”
The Rolleston Ave facade of Canterbury Museum will have three new entrances and a new cafe, right.
Ayers would not say exactly how much government funding they had requested, but said it was less than their rejected $70m application to the shovel-ready infrastructure fund.
Ayers also said $24.5m in funding from the Christchurch City Council for the project was “in limbo” until the Government funding was approved.
The council funding to strengthen and base isolate the Robert McDougall Art Gallery at the back of the Canterbury Museum was contingent on the project being fully funded by the end of last year. This funding deadline was missed.
“Council put that deadline in the agreement, they thought government funding would have come through by now. They are asking questions about the government funding,’’ Ayers said.
“If we go ahead, that money will become available, I think.”
The Christchurch City Council was unable to respond to questions about the McDougall funding due to a staff member being off sick with Covid-19.
Ayers said the Canterbury Museum already had $125m for the project, leaving a shortfall of $80m . He said a public fundraising drive could also help make up the shortfall.
The existing funding of $125m largely came from the Christchurch City Council, as well as the Waimakariri, Hurunui and Selwyn district councils, he said.
“It is committed, but is not sitting in our bank account yet.”
A spokesperson for the Waimakariri District Council said they had budgeted $3.9m for the redevelopment over three years from 2022-23 to 2024-25. A Hurunui District Council spokesperson said they had budgeted $540,867 towards the redevelopment.
The Christchurch City Council and Selwyn District Council were unable to immediately provide details about their museum funding.
The museum will be closed for five years during the revamp, but will operate a pop-up venue in the city during the closure.
*CORRECTION: Canterbury Museum Trust Board chairperson David Ayers initially said the board’s funding application to the Government was for about $70 million. He later said it was less. (Amended 9.09am, July 22, 2022).
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