Newspaper Article 1995 – Doctors for stadium site

Doctors for stadium site

By Peter Brittenden
Business reporter, Hastings

A $6-million medical centre to be built in Hastings is to go on the central-city site rejected as the venue for a sports stadium.

The site is the old de Pelichet McLeod property in Lyndon Road near the railway line.

The possibility of housing both the Hastings and County clubs on the top floor of the new building is being discussed.

The medical centre’s planners are now considering adding a further level to the four-storey building after strong interest in the proposal by the Hawke’s Bay medical community.

Although members of both the County and Hastings clubs were reluctant to discuss future plans, the Herald-Tribune has been told that the committees from both organisations have been discussing the possibility of an amalgamation.

A member of one committee, who would not be named, said: “There is an ideal opportunity for the clubs to move out of their current buildings, both which will need serious maintenance and re- construction work during the next few years, and to rationalise into a new building.”

A spokesman for Baycare said since the company’s plans were published last week in the Herald-Tribune there had been a lot of interest from medical professionals wanting to be part of the new initiative.

The spokesman said because of this interest Baycare was not in a position to think about finalising plans for the building.

“Our initial thinking had been for a four-storey building with a 24-hour Baycare medical centre on the ground floor, a range of medical specialists and specialities on the next two floors and tenants from outside the medical area on the top,” the spokesman said.

But he said the company will have to re-evaluate this and would not be making any decision for a few more weeks.

Plans were to have the $6-million building started in spring for completion late in 1996.

The site is owned by Mackersey Construction.

Earlier this year a planning commission rejected plans to build The Bay Sports Centre on the site because of inadequate parking facilities. The Hastings District Council is looking at other options for the sports stadium.

A council spokesman said staff were looking at about 12 sites and a report and recommendation would be made to the council by the end of the month.

Photo caption – The Lyndon Road site which will be used for the new Baycare medical centre.