Special council meeting on Venue development
09 May 2023
Since council’s approval of the contract to refurbish the Venue Building in Ipswich Central in August last year, Hutchinson Builders have made substantial progress.
With the number of different tenants in the Venue Building over the decades it was expected that the strip-out of the old building would reveal issues that need to be addressed to provide a building that would meet today’s building safety standards.
Ipswich Central Redevelopment Committee Chairperson Councillor Marnie Doyle said people visiting Ipswich Central would have noticed the changes to the local streetscape as the project is advancing.
“Substantial progress has been made on this significant project,” Councillor Doyle said.
“Design is well advanced and demolition is almost complete, meaning there’s been a complete strip-out of the existing building to take it back to its basic structure.
“That work has revealed previously unknown defects, such as a collapsed sewer, and issues with the ground floor slab. It has also uncovered significant black mould within the former cinema spaces that must be treated. The former cinema’s tiered seating must also be rebuilt to today’s standards.
“There have also been some council-requested scope changes to help finalise design and tenancy works.
“Anyone who has built or renovated will know that things happen that either cannot be anticipated or are more significant than anticipated. The current world climate also means materials are harder to come by and more expensive.”
Ipswich City Council will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, 11 May 2023 to consider the challenges that have emerged in relation to the Venue development in Ipswich Central.
The meeting has been called to consider varying the design and construction contract between Ipswich City Council and J. Hutchinson Pty Ltd approved by council in August 2022.
The Special Meeting will commence 10 minutes after the conclusion of the Ipswich Central Redevelopment Committee meeting.
All council meetings are open to the public. Councils may close portions of a meeting to discuss confidential matters as outlined in the Local Government Regulation.