Church Street
Church Street, next to the Nelson Provincial Museum
This option builds a brand-new Community Hub, Library and Civic Space on Church Street, next to the Nelson Provincial Museum. The site is about 2,097 square metres, made up of two pieces of land across Hardy Street, Church Street and Selwyn Place.
The design closes Church Street to traffic and turns it into a public space. This space links the community hub, library and museum. This work is not in the cost summary below. It is estimated at $1M to $3M to close the street and upgrade it, depending on how far the upgrade goes.
Part of the building extends over Church Street on the upper floors, with a small public courtyard in the middle. A service lane connects Hardy Street and Selwyn Place. Being right next to the museum opens the chance for the library and museum to share space.
Unlike Option 2, the Council would buy this land outright. That means a bigger upfront cost, but no ongoing rent. This is why the long-term cost ($47.6M) is lower than the Collingwood Street option, even though the upfront price is higher.
One trade-off is that the community hub and library would spread over three floors instead of two. That could make it less handy for visitors and harder to run. Putting the Council Chamber or a special collection on the top floor could help.
Like Option 2, Civic House and the Elma Turner Library would be sold. Building work would take about 39 months.
Cost summary and trade-offs
| Land purchase, building design and construction | $98.8M |
| Moving staff during building work | $0M |
| Sale of Civic House & Elma Turner Library | –$10.6M |
| Total upfront cost | $88.2M |
| Long-term cost | $47.6M |
Would the Council own the land?
Yes. The Council would buy the land outright.
How long to build
39 months. Council services keep running at Civic House until the new building is ready.
What this means for your rates
About $71 a year extra in the peak year, on top of the Long Term Plan 2024–2034 budget (see “Understanding the costs” for what ‘extra’ means). This is for an average residential land value of $405,000.
- Brand-new building built to modern standards, with design freedom around community and access needs
- The Council would own both the land and the building
- Lower long-term cost ($47.6M) than the Collingwood Street option, though higher than Civic House
- Civic House would be sold for much-needed city-centre housing
- Council services keep running as normal, with no staff move
- Church Street becomes a car-free public space, creating a new civic area for Nelson
- Right next to the Nelson Provincial Museum, so spaces and programmes could be shared
- Outside the flood plain
- Supports the Te Ara ō Whakatū City Centre Spatial Plan
- Shorter build time (39 months) with no disruption to Council services
- Good walking and cycling links; close to eBus Route 1
- Highest upfront cost of all options ($88.2M total)
- The Council needs to buy land from private owners, and remove or demolish existing buildings
- The library and hub would be on three floors instead of two, less handy for visitors and harder to run
- Tenants on the site would need to move first
- Ground conditions are not fully known; coal tar may be in the ground on Church Street and add cost
- Nelson's civic identity would move from Trafalgar Street to a new spot in the city centre
- Parking is not right next to the building; closest off-street carpark is Montgomery Square (230m walk)
- The Council would need to close Church Street to traffic and build over the road, adding $1M to $3M
- Less visible from a main road; the entrance would face Church Street rather than a major street
