New community building needed for Memorial Park

A new community facility could be built in Silverdale War Memorial Park if the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board has its way.

The former Silverdale bowling club building is to be demolished soon – it was condemned after it was found to have asbestos in it, in 2016.

Since then, Auckland Council staff have undertaken an exhaustive assessment of options for the site, including a needs assessment report and an open space assessment report, concluding that the land should be used for a suburban park.

The local board was asked to make the budget it has for renewal of the former bowling club building available for development of an indoor recreation facility elsewhere in the area instead. “The proposed indoor recreation facility at Metro Park will provide for any future indoor recreation needs in the Silverdale-Millwater area,” the report says.

However, at its meeting on May 15, local board members disagreed with this conclusion and stressed the need for a replacement community building within Silverdale War Memorial Park.

Deputy chair Janet Fitzgerald said that this facility would service the needs of nearby developments and provide for users from a broader range of the community than the proposed Metro Park sports facility.

The site of the former bowling club site is around 1ha. The Hibiscus Coast Men’s Shed has approval to construct a building near the middle of the area – the Council report suggests slightly adjusting the placement of the Men’s Shed.

Staff will now look at options, which will include consideration of various sites within the Memorial Park that are not already leased.