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The first stage of the new Rodney Rams clubrooms, designed by Taylored Architecture and Environments, could be completed by June.
Construction of new Rodney Rams clubrooms is expected to start soon, but the club will only have a shell of a building at first and will need community support to get the project across the line.
The Whangateau club’s 80 members have been without headquarters since their clubrooms burned down in May and are awaiting the approval of building consents for work to start.
Club secretary Denise Crimp says the new clubrooms will eventually have a bar and a restaurant facility, but the club only has enough money to build the basic structure of the building.
Work on a new kitchen, plumbing, toilets and electrical work will be completed as funds allow.
“We will have to continue fundraising and hopefully get sponsorships and grants,” Denise says.
Construction of the first stage is expected to cost $220,000 and take about ten weeks, funded by a $165,000 insurance payout and fundraising. The cost of the plumbing and electrical work is yet to be investigated.
“We feel it is important to get as much completed as we can, rather than waiting to build everything in one go. Once the building starts, the spirits of the club will lift and hopefully the community will get behind our fundraising efforts.”
In the meantime, a temporary kitchen and bar is being constructed in a shipping container so the club can continue to earn an income. The club is also in negotiations with Auckland Council about temporarily using the public toilets on the grounds.
The new building will be built on the same footprint as the previous clubrooms and will be approximately the same size.
“By building on the existing footprint we have avoided obtaining a resource consent and saved significant costs,” Denise says.
The club is working hard to ensure they get the most value out of every dollar spent.
“We will be using tradespeople within the club as much as possible for things such as decking, painting and decorating.
“Doug The Builder Construction and Formsteel Industries have also been very generous in reducing their contract price to allow us to complete the first stage.”
Council has not contributed any funds towards the rebuild, however Rodney Local Board gave the club $25,000 last year to help them re-establish after the fire.
