New Proserpine Entertainment Centre design unveiled

CA Architects and Cox Architecture were appointed to design a new state of the art entertainment precinct for Proserpine which would benefit the whole Whitsunday region.

Mayor Andrew Willcox said it is had been a roller-coaster journey since the PEC was damaged in Cyclone Debbie.

“The on-going historical issues identified after initial damage assessment has been especially frustrating for the Proserpine community and Council,” he said.

“The journey has been rocky as Council went from a $500,000 insurance repair bill to a building audit report late last year indicating that demolishing the old facility and building a new one was the best outcome for the community.

“Deputy Mayor John Collins and I jumped on the front foot and knocked on a lot of doors to nail down Federal and State Government funding of over $10 million to create a new, state of the art, entertainment complex for Proserpine.

“Getting local, state and federal government working together to deliver such a vital project was hard but all tiers of government have been positive in finding ways to deliver a great outcome for our community.”

Deputy Mayor John Collins said revealing the Council approved concept designs to stakeholders and the community was a huge step forward.

“We will take any minor feedback from the stakeholders and then have the architect quickly move to the final schematic detailed design stage which will take three months,” he said.

“I have said countless times that the PEC was the heart and soul of the Proserpine community and construction of the new facility is now a reality.

“There are so many Proserpine locals passionate about this project as the facility is a hub for the community all year-round.”

Spokesperson for the architect Richard Coulson said the existing PEC was a focus for community activity, gathering and entertainment and had been out of action since Cyclone Debbie.

“The site has fantastic potential due to it being in the Main Street of Proserpine, set in an existing park and part of an existing established community precinct.

“We believe a project focused on engaging with the street and wider precinct can deliver outcomes that can contribute to Proserpine’s identity and economic prosperity,” he said.

The concept design proposes five major focus areas in the planning of the building and all are interlinked and work to maximise the benefits of the project.

They are: 1. Connect the building to the street so it is a part of community engagement. 2. Create a building that embraces the outside to be welcoming and also contribute to the town outside of performance or event mode. 3. Connect a spine through the site that connects to the library and carpark and allows for future site development 4. Integrate the landscape and the existing major trees that provide “instant amenity” for the building and a focus for the community. 5. Arrange the key performance hall to connect seamlessly with the external space for flexibility so that the population capacity of the building can double or triple.