Stirling Street Arts Centre cost grows

Deputy Mayor Jaysen Miguel remains confident a major project to redevelop Stirling Street Arts Centre will go ahead despite a half-a-million-dollar blowout.

Bunbury City Council has received tenders for the long-awaited project, but all have come in “significantly” over budget.

The redevelopment will include a new and modern fit-for-purpose studio with extra studio space and administration building with the council spending $1 million and a similar contribution from Lotterywest.

The council has already spent $105,000 of the budget on forward works including building design and architectural fees, meaning it has just under $1.9 million remaining.

The project is set to cost about $2.4 million.

Cr Miguel said he was 100 per cent confident the project would still go ahead and the council was already working to see how it could save some money.

“The tender came in significantly more than what we had budgeted,” Cr Miguel said.

“The city has already been working with the tenderer to say there are some projects that can come out of there or can be done cheaper.

“Some we’re hoping it can be done in-house.

“I know there was some discussion around potentially some of the landscaping being done by the Stirling Street Arts Centre, so that could come out of the project, too.”

The council will next week vote on accepting a tender for the project.

It will also vote on authorising negotiations to vary the specifications to reduce the contract price.

“The project will be happening, it’s just how we get those final funds to build it,” Cr Miguel said.

“There’s two parts, going back now, working with the tender to try and work out what projects we can minimise the cost of.

“Secondly, asking the Stirling Street Arts Centre to look at what they can do in terms of some fundraising.”