What's happening with Crossways and the Campaign?

There has been some confusion about the current goings on around Crossways and whether the community is going to be able to keep our community house.

The Crossways Community Trust made an offer to purchase the property for $1.2m based on an independent valuation. The church hopes to settle the sale of the house in October and has just announced the property will go to tender.

The council is likely soon to confirm a heritage listing for the building that would prevent its demolition and limit changes to the exterior of the building and to its setting. The difference between the Trust’s valuation and the church’s expectations reflects the current uncertainty in the property market.

The council voted down a proposed $250,000 contribution to help the community purchase Crossways. Councillors voting for the proposal were Iona Pannett, Ian McKinnon and Stephanie Cook from Lambton Ward supported by Andy Foster, Celia Wade-Brown and Brian Pepperell.

If Crossways closes, council staff think that most of the groups using Crossways will move to rooms beneath the Fisherman’s Table band rotunda at Oriental Bay. The crèche is hoping to be allowed to operate on the Town Belt and to occupy the vacant Bandoliers clubrooms.

It is vital to remember that Crossways remains the first choice for the crèche and many of its users.

However fundraising to keep Crossways in community hands is continuing with new sense of urgency as the sale date looms, and we intend to make an offer for the building on the open market.

The vision of the trust remains to provide a community centre relevant for the 21st century for the changing and diverse suburb of Mt Victoria and the CBD, to meet the needs of its citizens and to ensure community groups have the space that they need.

The trust has so far received donations of well over $75,000 before costs, an interest free loan of $450,000 and an offer of a substantial low interest mortgage from Kiwibank.

It has always been an epic struggle to save this building for the community and we are still in there fighting, says Crossways Community Trust Chair Bill Southworth.