Contractors were running a little behind schedule, but once the machinery was ready to roll it took just minutes to demolish the foyer at the front of the Queenstown Memorial Hall yesterday.

The demolition of parts of the hall, which is getting a $3.1 million upgrade, began yesterday.

The removal of the front was the first visible sign that work on the upgrade had started.

Arrow International site construction manager Bruce Halligan said they hoped to start laying the foundations for the new entrance foyer this week.

The new foyer would protrude a few metres further from the hall than the former one.

More demolition work, including the removal of the rear of the building above the stage, was likely to start next week, Mr Halligan said.

The project, which hit a stumbling block when the Lotteries Commission turned down an application for $800,000 funding because of a lack of council contribution, started as planned after the unanimous decision by the Queenstown Lakes District Council to grant an additional $500,000 to the upgrade.

Funding for the project has been committed to by the Central Lakes Trust, $1m; Queenstown Lakes District Council, $992,000; Community Trust of Southland, $400,000; and the Queenstown community, $378,309. The trust has yet to tap an additional $344,466 that the council has agreed to lend if required.

The upgraded hall would be known as the Queenstown Memorial Centre and was expected to be completed by February 28.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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