Former Grace St church to be come community centre
By Toni McDonald Otago Daily Times Nov 23 2022
A collective cash injection of nearly $1.5 million to the Invercargill Community Connections Charitable Trust (IC2) has provided the platform to launch a redevelopment of the former Grace Street Chapel.
The $4.2 million project will include a community lounge, offices, co-working spaces and space for large meetings, workshops, exhibitions, classes and internationally-streamed gaming stations.
IC2 chairwoman Janette Malcolm said the development was a phenomenal opportunity for south Invercargill.
The new centre would be complementary to its community focused neighbours — South Alive and The Pantry.
The trust had always aimed to acquire the new building as "the location was perfect".
"We think it is so important and would add so much more to the community to be co-located with South Alive and The Pantry," she said.
She said it was hoped the new centre would become a "place of belonging" where members of the community in the South City area could reconnect.
"It is our aim the lounge and host will be a great help in improving people’s sense of wellbeing through enabling that sense of connecting with others and opportunities."
ILT granted $320,000 for the project.
ILT president Paddy O’Brien said he believed the project was the perfect platform and place to "build a vibrant community culture".
The ILT board’s decision to support the project was an easy one to make as it ticked so many of the trust’s community boxes, he said.
Other funding sources included Aotearoa Gaming ($200,000), Invercargill City Council ($100,000), Community Trust South ($75,000), and private trusts which contributed an additional $540,000.
The Southern Institute of Technology had granted $250,000. SIT acting chief executive Daryl Haggerty said SIT had committed to the project through a five-year lease agreement and to provide classes to the community.
He thought the redevelopment would "enliven" the area.
South City New World owner Bradley Patton, through a read statement at the launch, said there had always been a sense of community and pride in south Invercargill.
The initiative was a positive step because it would help to strengthen the community.