16 | T T Bernadette Cooney Local culture to feature in new hub The two-storey development is a joint venture between Grey District Council and Development West Coast, with support from Kānoa: Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit. Smart Project Management: Greymouth Library REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Construction of a new multi-million-dollar library and community hub for Greymouth is underway – a bold reimagining of public space, featuring a ground floor café, upper-level river views, reading nooks, and make-and-create rooms. The two-storey development is a joint venture between Grey District Council and Development West Coast, with support from Kānoa: Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit. The building is located at the intersection of Boundary Street and Richmond Quay. At the helm is Smart Project Management, which is leading stakeholder collaboration and bringing construction and project management expertise. A Ngāi Tahu-owned company, it is grounded in cultural integration and regional connection, says founder Sam Summerton. “The council consulted the community to understand what they wanted in a modern library. Mana Whenua, Ngāti Waewae, ensured local culture is fully integrated into the design,” he says. “Greymouth’s new library hub will be a fantastic place for everyone. It will include reading nooks, a parents’ room, children’s playground, breakout rooms, heritage rooms, and an upper-level café with views out to the Grey River, all the way to the bar.” The building’s footprint is approximately 2500sqm. The structure is a hybrid: concrete tilt panels on the ground floor, structural steel and timber on the upper floor, with a glass and metal-clad exterior. The ground floor includes leaseable tenancies. The 1200sqm upper floor houses the library. Exterior work includes landscaping, integrated parking, and realigned public spaces outside the boundary. Design is led by RM Designs, with Tony Wilkins Builders as head contractor. Smart Project Management oversees the full suite of project management tasks, including local procurement, tenant negotiation, and contractor engagement. At its peak, the site will support up to 40 local tradespeople. On track for completion in the first quarter of 2026, the project reflects Smart Project Management’s full-service capability. It uses the early contractor involvement (ECI) model, which the company strongly advocates. “We’ve followed the Government’s early contractor involvement guidelines, which means we can be designing and building in overlapping stages. It enables a shorter timeframe,” says Sam. “Normally, a build of this scale takes 24 to 36 months end-to-end, but we’re tracking closer to 18 months.” Based in Christchurch, Smart Project Management has delivered a broad range of projects since Sam and his wife Tess founded it six years ago. This follows Sam’s 20 years in the construction sector. “We’ve grown to a team of six, managing metro and regional development projects across the South Island – from Franz Josef to Westport on the West Coast, and from Invercargill to Kaikoura on the East Coast.” The company offers full-service site-, project- and construction-management services, including funding identification and application, feasibility studies, project planning and reporting. Smart Project Management has successfully delivered several notable West Coast projects in recent times. These includes completion of Greymouth’s Mawhera Pounamu Pathway Experience Centre on time and under budget, plus involvement with Dolomite Point Redevelopment. “Smart Project Management is proud to be delivering projects in the region that are transformational, delivering these in a way that all stakeholders are included and involved, from the concept to completion,” says Sam. Talk to us today, the feature profile experts Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz PROFILE YOUR PROJECT...
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