Southland District Council is making progress on the redevelopment of its newly purchased office building in Invercargill. Work at Henderson House, on Kelvin Street, has included removing mould and repairing leaks — but according to project director Jendi Paterson, the work was all part of the plan.
“Mould remediation work and testing have been completed, and previously identified leaks have been repaired,” Paterson said. “These findings were anticipated and are already built into the redevelopment scope and budget.”
The building, constructed in the 1980s, was purchased in October 2024 as part of the council’s long-term goal to house all of its employees under one roof. Some staff have been working from three separate sites after being forced to leave the Forth Street building due to earthquake safety concerns.
For more than five years, this split setup has caused issues, a recent council report found, including increased costs, inefficiencies, and limited collaboration between teams.
The report also said the council carried out a thorough analysis of its options throughout 2023 and into early 2024. This included investigating other properties, the cost of a new build, and whether to extend current leases. Eventually, the council chose to buy the Kelvin Street site and authorised its chief executive to complete the purchase.
Since acquiring Henderson House, the council has uncovered a few expected issues during due diligence, including the need for seismic strengthening, replacing the cladding and windows, and refurbishing the inside of the building.
Despite these challenges, Paterson said the council remains on track for a move-in date around late 2026.
She also said that bringing staff together would help improve collaboration across teams and reduce dependence on leased offices, which currently add to operational costs and create long-term uncertainty.
A tender process to find a main contractor for the redevelopment closes on Friday.