"Council is not intending to spend $20 million on reproducing what the district has now," he said. "It has tasked the IWP (Independent Working Party) with coming back with options for the opera house buildings, Civic Square and a hotel proposal.
"The $20 million budget, with potential for additional external funding, will be spread across these projects."
In addition to the opera house theatre strengthening, Mr McLeod said it would cost the HDC between $5.6 and $6.4 million to strengthen the municipal building.
"I advise the current cost range of strengthening for the opera house buildings based on the most up to date preliminary design work," he said.
"The costs are to get the buildings up to a standard of between 70-75 per cent of Building Code and to address the threats to life.
"The costs may reduce if council opts for a lower standard than 70 to 75 per cent."
New Zealand Insurance (NZI) reports Territorial Authorities (TAs) are working through the following process to identify earthquake-prone buildings on the basis that all buildings constructed prior to 1976 must be at least 34 per cent of the National Building Standard.
The New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering says a NBS percentage of 67 or greater means the building is not considered to be a significant earthquake
risk.
According to a review of the Hawke's Bay Opera House Redevelopment issued last year, a detailed seismic assessment was carried out on both the opera house and the municipal building.
"As a result of the evaluation, both buildings were assessed as earthquake prone with current ratings between 11 per cent and 20 per cent," the report reads. "The assessments are indicating serious shortcomings in terms of the structural adequacy of these two buildings, to a point where elements are believed to pose a threat to life."
NZI reports that the building code is primarily concerned with injury, death and damage to surrounding property.
At between 11 to 20 per cent the buildings are not only earthquake prone, but according to the company they have the lowest seismic grade of E which is extremely high.
It reports that it is not easy to provide a general answer in respect of the cost of re-strengthening work.
"The cost will depend on the existing structural performance, the location, construction type/materials, historical places orders, methods used (and) final outcome objective," the company reports. "Generally re-strengthening is a very expensive undertaking."
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule said the council had advanced things from a technical sense so when it comes up to council it is with a far better understanding of foundation strength and what area the design engineering solutions and what are the costs of those.
"Then if we decide we will go out to the public and say within this ball park this is what we are thinking of doing and that will include some options around civic square. And then whatever the public says we will listen to and the council will make a decision."
