South Dunedin Community Pop up

SOUTH DUNEDIN COMMUNITY POP UP

On 8 September 2017, the Dunedin City Council officially opened the South Dunedin Community Pop Up facility at 199 Hillside Road, South Dunedin, marking a significant milestone in the provision of library and community services to the South Dunedin Community.

Investigations, discussions, community consultation and planning for the development of a South Dunedin facility have been undertaken intermittently since local government amalgamation in 1989 with key points of focus being in 2005 when Council commissioned OCTA Associates to review library facilities, with a particular focus on services to South Dunedin, and in 2015/16 when Council approved funding for the development of a South Dunedin Community Complex.

In 2016, Council engaged WT Partnership and Athfield Architects to investigate possible locations for a South Dunedin Community Hub, with community consultation on seven potential locations undertaken in August 2016.

As part of the longer term development of the South Dunedin Community Hub, Council intended to establish a smaller and temporary pop up facility to:

• Provide Dunedin City Council services to the South Dunedin community
• Provide opportunities for the community to give feedback and have input into the development of a permanent South Dunedin Community Hub, and serve as a  conduit for information about the permanent Hub and wider South Dunedin developments
• Demonstrate a commitment by Council to the South Dunedin community

Between October 2016 and March 2017, a range of potential sites for the pop up facility were investigated with the former recreational hall within the Cargill Enterprises building at 199 Hillside Road identified as the most appropriate location. The functions of the pop up facility included:

• Community Development support services.
• Community ‘Hot Desk’ where different community groups can have a temporary presence and promote their activities and services.
• A branch of the Dunedin Public Libraries with a small collection of approximately 2,000 library items with the facility to borrow and return library items, access to the library catalogue and digital collections. A secure after-hours book return facility will also be available.
• Council Service Centre facilities to pay rates, fees and charges, purchase garbage bags and recycling bins, etc
• Community notice boards
• Free Gig wifi
• Free public computers with free wifi and Internet access
• Public photocopying facilities
• Small meeting room and open meeting space

Discussions and negotiation with Cargill Enterprises were undertaken and a two-year lease, with a six month extension, was signed in early May 2017. As part of the lease, the Council and Cargill Enterprises agreed to share the costs for the redevelopment of the hall to create the South Dunedin Community Pop Up, and to design the facility so that the library/service centre and community space could be packed down and rolled away to allow the existing community housie operation to continue on four occasions each week. Planning for the redevelopment commenced in early May 2017, with the involvement of Baker Garden Architects to advise on design, internal fit out and an assessment of compliance with building & fire regulations. Resource Consent for a variation to current Industrial site zoning for use as community facility was applied for and approved.

Internal fit out included data cabling, electrical wiring, Gig wifi installation, Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa (APNK) free public Internet installation, carpentry work to remove former stage to create a storage room and community meeting room, wall and ceiling painting, carpet tile flooring, installation of RFID book return chute at front of building and internal entry gates. Existing tables & chairs used for Housie were replaced. Mobile library shelving was specified and ordered. Collapsible mobile tables with custom made table tops were produced by Cargill Enterprises. Concurrent with the internal fit out, Cargill Enterprises removed an ageing diesel burner heating system and replacing this with a more efficient four heat pump system.

The Project team for the redevelopment was led by Jane Nevill and included Council staff from the Libraries, Events and Community Development, Policy, Communications and Marketing, and Business Information Solutions teams as well as local artist Aroha Novak, engaged to provide creative input into the design of the Pop Up space and facilitate related community art projects.

Library staff to operate the Pop Up facility were recruited and seconded for a two-year period. Opening Hours for the Pop Up were determined as follows:

Tuesday               11.00am-4.00pm

Wednesday        11.00am-5.30pm

Thursday             11.00am-4.00pm

Friday                    11.00am-5.30pm

Saturday              10.00am-12.00pm

The opening of the South Dunedin Community Pop Up included an official opening on Friday 8 September 2017 and a series of community events continuing to Saturday 9 September.

The South Dunedin Community Pop Up was officially opened by Anne Turvey, former St Kilda Borough Councillor, former Dunedin City Councillor, former President of the St Kilda Community Club and long standing advocate for a permanent library for the South Dunedin community.

The Council intention is to operate the South Dunedin Community Pop Up facility in parallel with the development of a larger permanent South Dunedin Community Hub.

Key Points of Difference for the South Dunedin Community Pop Up project have been the:

• Partnership between the Dunedin City Council and Cargill Enterprises (a not-for-profit social enterprise)
• Two-year lease with possible extension
• Cost sharing between Council and Cargill Enterprises in the establishment of the facility
• Council investment enabled Cargill’s investment – Heating system upgrade
• Joint use with existing Cargill’s tenants – Community Housie groups
• Furniture on wheels, changeover three times per week
• Artist on Project Team – Ara Toi Otepoti: Arts & Culture Strategy

Bernie Hawke

 Library Services Manager

 January 2018