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Hastings District Council is budgeting $20 million for central city development projects including the seismic strengthening of the Hawke's Bay Opera House.

The 100-year-old Hawke's Bay Opera House and the adjacent Hastings Municipal Building in central Hastings were closed last year after an engineer's report found the 12-metre side walls of the theatre could collapse on an audience during an earthquake.

The cost of repairs to the Opera House have been estimated at between $10 and $22 million.

Rather than commit to the work, the Council has said it will consult the public over plans to spend $20 million on up to three CBD projects: the Opera House complex, a new city hotel and an upgrade of nearby Civic Square.

Earlier this month a Wellington economist, Ian Harrison, questioned the need for a multimillion-dollar repair job to the Opera House, saying the chances of anyone being killed in a quake-triggered collapse were statistically very low and made the project "an extremely bad investment".

But in a report prepared for a Council meeting on Thursday, staff advised against Harrison's approach "in the strongest terms".

Councillors were told that the Council had taken legal advice that made it clear it could not reopen the building knowing of the potential risks, councillors were told.

The report stated "Council and individual councillors would have significant difficulty in explaining their decision-making should a fatal event occur.

“Liability could well ensue.”

An earthquake-prone building notice the Council had issued under the Building Act would also "make it difficult for council to overturn previous decisions".

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule endorsed the decision to keep the Opera house closed earlier this month, stating “it is all very well for an economist to say the cost of strengthening does not stack up against the risk, but does he seriously think we can allow the theatre to be used by 900 people with our knowledge of the structural weaknesses?"

An Independent Working Group (IWP) has been tasked with coming up with options and concepts for the Hawke’s Bay Opera House, Municipal Buildings and Civic Square – assessing how $20 million could be spent in the area.

Internationally acclaimed urban designer James Lunday was in Hastings last Wednesday to meet with the IWP, which has been consulting with a range of people with particular expertise.

After inspecting the Opera House, Lunday highlighted the value of the building, pointing out that the most successful international revitialisation projects keep their historic buildings, giving city centres character, context “and architectural ambience.”

Lunday told the IWP, “the (Opera House) is a fantastic performance space. The way it is designed means you can have a really intimate audience experience. A new building will not achieve that – please don’t throw it away.”

Lunday has also been involved in the Christchurch rebuild, and says one of the most difficult things about that project was that in the earthquake and ensuing demolitions, such a lot of the heritage was lost.

Lunday stated “it’s impossible to replace it. Your opera house is unique and both buildings should be saved.

“Demolishing them would be a disaster.”

Draft plans for Civic Square were drawn up a year ago but have been revisited since the discovery that the Opera House and Municipal Buildings needed earthquake strengthening. The IWP has been tasked with linking the three areas together to create a cultural heart for Hastings.

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