Concept designs for Swan Hill’s iconic new visitor, arts and cultural building have been confirmed, and community members can learn more at an information session on 9 October.
At the Ordinary Council Meeting this week , Swan Hill Rural City Council approved concept designs for the new two-storey building on Monash Drive, near the PS Gem.
The ground floor will include an Aboriginal cultural space, Swan Hill Region Information Centre and the Pioneer Settlement’s entrance, while Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery will be on the upper level.
Mayor Ann Young said the new building would be a drawcard for locals and visitors, offering diverse cultural experiences, modern and beautiful community spaces, and practical benefits from co-location.
“This will be an iconic new building for our region. It will make a statement about Swan Hill, about our progress into a mature and modern rural city,” she said.
“Incorporating the Gallery, the Settlement entry, information centre and a new Aboriginal cultural space ticks so many boxes for the community and for Council.
“We have been advocating for a new Gallery for many years and planning for a new Settlement entry. It allows us to custom-design a modern information centre that caters to tourists in the digital age, and importantly, it will allow us to tell stories of our region’s Aboriginal culture.
“We’re thrilled to progress this project and we look forward to developing the detailed design.”
Cr Young encouraged community members to come to the information session on 9 October.
“It’s difficult to truly explain all the elements of this new building and how it will work in that area, so I encourage people to come along to the information session on-site, see the full concepts, and chat to the concept architect and Council staff about them,” she said.
The session will be on Wednesday, 9 October from 4pm until 6pm. It will be held on the site of the new building, in the rotunda next to the PS Gem – please enter via the double gates near the rotunda.
The next stage of the project will seek tenders for an architect to complete a detailed design, which will take place over October and November. The building is expected to open in January 2022.
Our Place is a $10.9 million project, funded by Council and the Federal Government, through Our Region, Our Rivers. Our Region, Our Rivers is a suite of 29 river and lake front projects across seven local Victorian and NSW council areas, funded by those councils and the Federal Regional Growth Fund.
Our Place is a working name for the new development, as we work with stakeholders to determine the final name.
Images are artist concept impressions and are subject to change.
