Life in the Ashburton District is never dull, there's always a new project, a new development just around the corner, one that is guaranteed to stir the natives to comment.
The future of Ashburton's art gallery - museum has been much discussed.
For a number of years our cultural and historical treasures have been housed in a shared building, one that, while attractive on the outside, is far from suitable for the role.
The Ashburton County Council building began its life as a civic centre and on the amalgamation of the borough and county councils became surplus to requirements.
It remained in council hands, but was leased to arts and historical interests.
Like many buildings that are put to a use other than their original, they fall woefully short of the ideal.
Any town worth its salt has a museum, a place in which it remembers its past, records that past and displays it for the future.
More than any other facility, the needs of a! museum are destined to increase, time takes care of that.
A respectable art gallery also says a lot about a town.
It suggests it has moved from its colonial roots to become a settlement that values things cultural and that it can dream and see beauty in the workings of creative minds.
Old things and paintings are quite different in their appeal, but they share a common need - an environment that can be maintained at the right temperature and humidity and an environment that allows collections to be displayed in an appropriate way.
No matter how much it was altered or added to, the county council building was never going to do that.
The catalyst for change came on two fronts - tenants running out of room and a willing buyer for the existing building.
A perfect situation.
The Ashburton District Council has now released its proposal to give the arts and the past a new, purpose built home.
A high profile site has been chosen, one that will attr! act passing motorists to stop, look and learn something about ! our dist rict.
And the proposal will give new life to the old civic building, this time as a boutique hotel, at the hands of the Ashburton Trust.
A perfect new life for a fine old building.
No doubt the project will have its share of knockers, people who hate to see a rating dollar spent on anything other than streets, roads and services.
That's the way of the past.
The way of the future is for a council to be running its town and its district like a well oiled business, looking to tomorrow's needs and providing its residents with facilities that make them proud to call this place home.
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Michael Comeau has been owner of many successful businesses over the years! including his current online business which can be viewed at www.workfromhome4dollars.com/ArticleDataEntry3.php You may also find more articles by Michael Comeau at www.workfromhome4dollars.com
Source: http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/index.asp?articleid=10413
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