‘Lot of work to be done’: Next step in $20m art gallery plan
The next stage in the process to create a world-class art precinct is expected to get the green light when the council decides on a tender process to repurpose the old Mulgrave Shire offices.
Cairns
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THE next stage in the process to create a world-class art precinct is expected to get the green light on Wednesday when council decides on a two-stage tender process to repurpose the old Mulgrave Shire offices.
It’s expected councillors will endorse a plan for expressions of interest to provide detailed designs that will guide the conversion of the old Esplanade council building into an art gallery.
Upgrades and modifications to the existing Cairns Art Gallery and connectivity to link three facilities including the recently completed Court House gallery will form part of the masterplan and are expected to begin early 2023.
From the EOI stage short-listed firms will be invited into a closed tender process and will be paid $10,000 to develop concept designs.
Strong advocate of the CBD art precinct Mayor Bob Manning said the cultural hub was an important vehicle to showcase unique artworks from across the region.
“There is a lot of work to be done and it is a big project but it’s one that has a very widespread benefit to the indigenous people, they just love it,” he said.
“We have unique work that is being produced all the time and (it will have) a huge market in time and it’s just a matter of waiting for that to occur.”
Demolition of the Mulgrave Shire Council building began in January along with early works to remove asbestos and non-significant heritage elements. Demolition is expected to be complete in July.
A council budget allocation of $2m in 2020/21, $8m in 2021/22 and a $10m contribution from the Department of State Development was locked in toward the end of 2021 through the Regional Recovery Partnerships Program.
Council documents state “there are sufficient funds to enable the project to proceed”.
The Cairns Gallery Precinct aims to restore some of the city’s most prominent historic buildings and to cement Cairns as the arts and culture capital of Northern Australia.
However Enterprise North Executive Manager Kevin Byrne questioned how much work could be undertaken at the Cairns Art Gallery.
“I would not think the (existing) gallery needs much of refurb at all because it’s all heritage listed,” he said.
“They have booted everyone out of the (Esplanade) building, pulled it all down and said it’s going to be part of a big arts precinct but what the ratepayers want to know is who is going to fund it and when it’s going start.”
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Originally published as ‘Lot of work to be done’: Next step in $20m art gallery plan
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