A building restoration project on the East Coast is setting a new benchmark for innovative community development.
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The Building Connections project will see a team of students and unemployed workers transform Fingal Neighbourhood House into a blossoming community hub, and in the process, restore the building to its 1856 heritage roots.
Work has already begun on the five-stage, two-and-a-half year project, which upon completion is expected to provide space for an art gallery, conference room, and pop-up shops.
Service provider Hub4Health has taken the lead role in spearheading the development, which external programs officer Rachel Hodge expects will be a landmark project for the town.
“I was at the neighbourhood house and I thought “what a magic building”,” Ms Hodge said.
“I had a bit of a tour round and upstairs is derelict and I just thought “this would be an amazing project for the community to work on together”.”
Ms Hodge said the building’s owner Break O’Day Council, tenant Fingal Neighbourhood House and the Tasmanian Heritage Council had all thrown their support behind the project.
“They were really keen on the concept of local long-term unemployed and students working on the project together and developing those old-fashioned restoration skills which are slowly being lost.
“The Heritage Council have said if it works it will be a great model to replicate, so it's a pilot to see how it goes.”
A key feature of the project is to offer traineeships and certificate courses to workers throughout the development, as well as providing Break O’Day Trade Training Centre students with the opportunity to restore old furniture to fit out the building’s many rooms.
“It's a project we believe will build community capacity from the ground up and it will give ownership of the building to the people of the town and surrounding regions.”
Break O’Day Mayor Mick Tucker said he was more than impressed with the concept.
“This is one of those community-led initiatives that can transform not just an individual but an entire community,” he said.
“Once this project is finished, the Fingal Valley will have a new community hub that has not just been renovated by the community members, but has been designed and led by the community.”
