The future of the old town hall and municipal buildings remains uncertain. PHOTO/FILE
Masterton District Council’s latest attempt to buy a site for its $30m civic facility has been quashed.
Its offer to buy a northern Masterton site was presented to Masterton Trust Lands Trust [MTLT] on December 24 and was reviewed in early January.
“The offer did not meet the trust’s requirements and as a result the trust has not resolved to sell,” MTLT manager Andrew Croskery said.
He did not detail what the unmet requirements were.
This is the second offer known to be rejected by the trust for what may become the site of Masterton’s new civic facility.
In July last year, MTLT made public it had rejected an initial offer from the council for land purchase, but said it was still in negotiations.
In November, Masterton District Council [MDC] said it was scoping out the site of Bridgestone Tyres, Kiwi Magic, and Cross Country Rentals as a potential location for the new civic facility.
The lot – 1 Queen St – is at the northern end of Masterton, has a capital value of $2.3 million, and measures 6100m2. It is owned by MTLT and borders the council-owned Robinson Park.
An MDC spokesperson said the council remained in confidential negotiations with MTLT.
If the trust decided to sell land, it would need to publicly notify any resolution to sell property and call for any objectors to state their objection in writing.
Any objection would be considered before a decision being concluded.
Masterton has been without a civic centre since the closure of the council’s earthquake-prone town hall in 2016.
The council’s 2021-31 Long-Term Plan includes provision for a new civic facility on another site.
MDC has appointed a lead architect and fundraiser to the project.
The future of the old town hall and municipal buildings remains uncertain.
— NZLDR
