HOME-GROWN architects have secured the tender to design the proposed $40m Mount Gambier Regional Sport and Recreation Centre after being selected by Mount Gambier City Council.
DesignInc Adelaide – led by director and former Mount Gambier man Richard Stafford – will complete the intermediate design stage for $40,000, which it is hoped will satisfy requirements for round two of the Federal Government Regional Growth Fund.
Visiting the Margaret Street site with architectural partner CO-OP Studio Melbourne and his colleagues on Friday, Mr Stafford said they were excited for the opportunity to work on the project.
“It’s quite an honour to be selected because it was a pretty competitive field,” Mr Stafford said.
“This is a really significant development for the community as, being people who grew up here, we are really pleased to come back and make a contribution.”
The appointment of Design Inc Adelaide came following 21 expressions of interest and City Council acting chief executive officer Judy Nagy said it was a rigorous process to choose an architectural company.
“After the assessment of the presentations, DesignInc Adelaide came out on top, both on scores and how they interacted with us,” Ms Nagy said.
“The fact they have local roots is a real bonus to us because they will understand what this means to this community.”
A former resident of the region, Mr Stafford said he already had previously knowledge of the site and saw huge potential for the proposed facility.
“There is a lot of space to work with and it is already a sporting centre, so there are already natural synergies there to establish a facility of this type in this location,” he said.
As the council continues to prepare its application for the Federal Government grant, Mr Stafford said he would do the best he could to help get the project off the ground.
“It is very rare for a regional community of this size not to have this type of facility because there are plenty of smaller communities with facilities like what is being proposed here,” he said.
“There is a little bit of luck sometimes when you are seeking funding from both state and federal governments and we are really familiar with that process.
“You just ride the lows and highs with the community as they seek the funding to turn the vision into a reality.”
DesignInc Adelaide senior associate Ben Luppino praised the council for its engagement on the project, which will help with the ultimate design.
“It has been very impressive how they have established the different community groups because we are getting some clear information from them,” Mr Luppino said.
“The more information we get in, the better we can incorporate that to create a centre that actually works for the community and performs in the long-run.”
