The Hawke's Bay Opera House strengthening project starts this week, with successful tenderer Gemco Construction taking over the site.
The work will start with the removal of the art from the safety fence on the Hastings St side of the building to give contractors clear access. The art will be carefully stored until it is reinstated within the precinct. The Heretaunga St artwork will remain in place in the meantime.
Most of the construction will take place inside the building. The largest piece of work is the strengthening of the four-storey brick side walls of the theatre. That involves attaching reinforcing rods to the inside of the walls, then pouring a concrete shear wall against them in stages to the full height of the structures.
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Hastings District councillor and chairman of council's Opera House and Arts Precinct Subcommittee chairman Malcolm Dixon said the $11 million opera house project was the largest of three in the precinct.
Work on putting a permanent weather-proof roof on the neighbouring Plaza will start in January, and options for the adjacent Municipal Buildings are being prepared.
"Everything is lining up perfectly. One of the best pieces of news was central Government announcing in June that it was putting $4m into the opera house project. That not only helps with funding, but also reinforces the international importance of this building," he said.
Acting mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the news that work was under way was exciting "for our community and the future of our arts and culture".
"The safety of our community inside our public buildings is paramount and that has meant taking great care with the consultation and planning for this project. But now we are under way I am very delighted this work has started, as I know our community will be. The preservation of our beautiful historic theatre is of utmost importance to us all."
The work is expected to take between 20 and 24 months.