Community Arts, Creative & Well-being Hub

CARRINGTON HOSPITAL AS A HUB FOR CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY AND WELLBEING

OPEN DAY AUGUST 8TH

Point Chevalier Social Enterprise Trust (PCSET), on behalf the Crown and Mana Whenua, is preparing a feasibility study on making use of Unitec’s Building One, while it is temporarily vacated, as a modern community, arts and wellbeing hub.

Comprising 270 studio spaces across 8500 square metres, Building One is part of the historically listed site that was home to Carrington Hospital from 1865 to 1992. With the possibility the building will be vacant while its adaptive reuse is investigated, social entrepreneurs and Pt Chev locals Chris Casey and Graeme Bennett of PCSET have identified an “exciting opportunity to connect, regenerate and energise the surrounding diverse communities of Point Chevalier, Mount Albert, Waterview, Avondale, and the wider population of Tāmaki Makaurau.” 

“There is potential opportunity to make use of this space” says Casey. “From affordable art and creative studio spaces to holistic well-being centres, food offerings, lecture theatres, community rooms for youth and adult education programmes.”

Extensive community feedback is being sought as part of the feasibility study – PCSET have created surveys* for people interested in the project. “We want to hear from anyone and everyone with an interest” says Bennett. “Whether you are an arts student, a musician, a local school or community organisation or resident, or whether you can see yourself here as a likeminded business, we would love to hear your thoughts.”

PCSET will be holding an Open Day for the community to explore the possibilities of Building One, on Saturday August 8 at Pt Chevalier Library from 10-4pm.

*Community survey: www.Surveymonkey.com/r/CommunityBuildingOne

*Arts/ Creative/Wellbeing survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/BuildingOneArtsHub 

For further information:

Chris Casey  ptchevsocialenterprise@gmail.com 

Graeme Bennett  Graeme@heebee.com

Carrington Hospital was purchased by the Crown from Unitec in 2018 and is currently leased by Unitec for its Architecture, Art and Design faculty. Unitec is due to vacate Building One by mid- 2021 and relocate to the Mount Albert campus hub. Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and the Crown (through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development) are development partners in the residential development of the overall site, and intend to make decisions on the future adaptive reuse and preservation of Carrington Hospital in due course. The PCSET study into Building One will look at interim use for the time being.