Plans for Flaxmere community centre's first major redevelopment needs to be let to contractors by August to claim insurance from a 2007 fire which destroyed the former community building, Te Whanau House.
The claim was worth about $350,000 and must be used for additional space, not just reconfiguring existing buildings at the community centre, also known as Flaxrock. The centre was located next to the Flaxmere library and included the sports hall, meeting rooms, a gym and a climbing wall.
Hastings District Council yesterday agreed to move the concept plan for the centre to the detailed design stage and allocated up to $151,000 for the work which would begin immediately.
The council's community programmes acting group manager Craig Threw and Flaxrock Advisory Group member Andrew Shortcliffe outlined the urgency of the design stage to the district development committee yesterday.
"We expect to report back to the council in June with the detailed design plans and then a construction contract must be in place by August. If this does not occur, we only have the indemnity value of about $90,000 available," Mr Threw said.