Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment could hit $76 million but final cost is still months away

There were more than 44,000 visitors to Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery between November 9 last year and the end of January. Photo / NZME

The final cost of Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment will be revealed in May, with the total expected to be about $76 million.

That is an increase of just under $700,000 from the last forecast, made at the end of October.

A report from project director Gaye Batty said there were extra costs for landscaping, external works and signage (up $210,000 from October), and direct costs because the project took longer, including contract works insurance and fees (an extra $201,000).

Event opening costs were forecast at $75,000 last October but came in at $108,602.

Whanganui District Council’s contribution stands at 27.5% of the total cost.

In August last year, the Chronicle reported that the council’s share would be 25.5% in the project’s mid-range cost forecast, which was $71.5m.

Batty told district councillors this week that landscaping around the gallery was complete and a planting plan had been “put in abeyance” until funds became available.

She said she was pleased with temperature and humidity controls inside the gallery and “fizzing and frothing” paint under its dome was being monitored and managed.

“It’s an old building and as moisture comes out, that will continue,” she said.

“At the right point, the contractor will come in and do the final coats.”

There were more than 44,000 visitors to the gallery from the opening on November 9 last year to the end of January 2025, including more than 19,000 in the first month.

Sarjeant director Andrew Clifford said visitor numbers would eventually settle down but the gallery was “off to a flying start”.

The gallery’s target for the first six months, including online visitors, was 56,500 visitors.

Andrew Clifford says the gallery's cafe adds a social dimension to the facility. Photo / NZME

Clifford said the cafe was proving popular and it was hard to get a seat most of the time.

According to Batty’s report, the cafe cost about $511,000 to fit out, more than the $481,300 forecast last October.

“It’s a very important social dimension to the gallery which helps make it an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable,” Clifford said.

The cafe was running a surplus of $37,708, meaning unbudgeted operational expenditure from the council was not currently needed, a report from Clifford said.

Last September, the council signed off unbudgeted funding of up to $271,336 to bankroll the cafe after a search for an operator was unsuccessful.

Batty said the final financial report for the redevelopment would be completed after the last account, which is expected in May, came through.

“Our attention is now on closing out defects, transitioning all of our systems across to a property manager and working on obtaining our final code of compliance certificate,” she said.

“Then, we’ll move on to a project review and lessons learned and we’ll have the outcomes of that reported mid-year.

“The objective is to identify ways to improve for future projects.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.