Latest news with #Surf&Skate
Otago Daily Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Oamaru businesses get makeover
Three Oamaru businesses have had a makeover as part of a city-centre revitalisation project. Thames St businesses Soul, Surf & Skate, Spark and Morcomm Systems Ltd have had the top level of their two-storey building facades painted. The makeover is part of the Central Oamaru Masterplan, the fourth in five community-led projects aimed at revitalising the town centre. Waitaki District Council community and economic development manager Mel Jones said the project was about protecting the heritage of the buildings and to generate more foot traffic. "Each building has undergone careful restoration and received a fresh coat of paint, adding colour and energy to the street while remaining true to its historic roots. "It is about how can we get more interest and more people into the CBD," she said. Mrs Jones said the facade improvement project was due to the efforts of many business owners and the council team that included Virginia Barlow (VBA Ltd), Kristina Lowe (McBrimar), Laura Byars (National Group), and council officers David Campbell and Chloe Searle. "The collaborative project with building owners was developed on the go and was about how do we build trust and move forward together," Mrs Jones said. She said in the "tough economic climate" it made sense to work collaboratively with business owners to make the budget go further and to encourage co-operation. "It's great they can all work together with different ideals, but it all blends together." Funding for the project has come from a combination of contributions by building owners, $15,000 from the Waitaki Heritage Fund, and the government's Better Off Funding. The next phase of the Facade Improvement community-led project is the repair and restoration of the building verandas and the installation of new signs. The final cost of the project will be known upon completion, Mrs Jones said. Painter Peter Keogh has been working with the business owners to help paint and restore the facades, she said. The MorComm Systems Ltd building was originally designed in 1879 by architect Thomas Forrester as a store for bookseller James Cagney. MorComm building co-owner Shirley Morris said they had "wanted to restore their building for some time but there had always been other priorities". "Working with the project team has been great. we were able to bounce ideas off each other and collaborate on things like shared scaffolding, which made the work easier and more cost-effective for everyone," Mrs Morris said. The online community reaction to the project has been divided, with some questioning whether the government Better Off funding could have been better spent on more vital services such as water, while other Oamaru residents were more positive about the upgrade. "These buildings look stunning, well done to the business owners," one person posted. Another said "the paint job is world class". Mrs Jones hoped the project would inspire other heritage building owners to consider facade renovations. Three other projects have been completed to date as part of the CBD revitalisation initiative, the Underland Artscape Trail Moa murals at Oamaru Creek; the lower Thames St streetscape pilot and a Heritage Building forum.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Facades restored as Oamaru businesses get makeover
Three Oamaru businesses have had a makeover as part of a city-centre revitalisation project. Thames St businesses Soul, Surf & Skate, Spark and Morcomm Systems Ltd have had the top level of their two-storey building facades painted. The makeover is part of the Central Oamaru Masterplan, the fourth in five community-led projects aimed at revitalising the town centre. Waitaki District Council community and economic development manager Mel Jones said the project was about protecting the heritage of the buildings and to generate more foot traffic. "Each building has undergone careful restoration and received a fresh coat of paint, adding colour and energy to the street while remaining true to its historic roots. "It is about how can we get more interest and more people into the CBD," she said. Mrs Jones said the facade improvement project was due to the efforts of many business owners and the council team that included Virginia Barlow (VBA Ltd), Kristina Lowe (McBrimar), Laura Byars (National Group), and council officers David Campbell and Chloe Searle. "The collaborative project with building owners was developed on the go and was about how do we build trust and move forward together," Mrs Jones said. She said in the "tough economic climate" it made sense to work collaboratively with business owners to make the budget go further and to encourage co-operation. "It's great they can all work together with different ideals, but it all blends together." Funding for the project has come from a combination of contributions by building owners, $15,000 from the Waitaki Heritage Fund, and the government's Better Off Funding. The next phase of the Facade Improvement community-led project is the repair and restoration of the building verandas and the installation of new signs. The final cost of the project will be known upon completion, Mrs Jones said. Painter Peter Keogh has been working with the business owners to help paint and restore the facades, she said. The MorComm Systems Ltd building was originally designed in 1879 by architect Thomas Forrester as a store for bookseller James Cagney. MorComm building co-owner Shirley Morris said they had "wanted to restore their building for some time but there had always been other priorities". "Working with the project team has been great. we were able to bounce ideas off each other and collaborate on things like shared scaffolding, which made the work easier and more cost-effective for everyone," Mrs Morris said. The online community reaction to the project has been divided, with some questioning whether the government Better Off funding could have been better spent on more vital services such as water, while other Oamaru residents were more positive about the upgrade. "These buildings look stunning, well done to the business owners," one person posted. Another said "the paint job is world class". Mrs Jones hoped the project would inspire other heritage building owners to consider facade renovations. Three other projects have been completed to date as part of the CBD revitalisation initiative, the Underland Artscape Trail Moa murals at Oamaru Creek; the lower Thames St streetscape pilot and a Heritage Building forum.
