DCC buys a building they don’t know what to do with

The Dunedin City Council announced:

The Dunedin City Council has secured a piece of Dunedin’s history and opened up future possibilities with the purchase of the Sammy’s building on Crawford Street. …

An options paper will go to the Council before Easter, looking at what could be done with the building. The paper will look at ways to involve the arts and business communities in decisions about the building’s function, how it might look and how it fits with its surroundings. The development of the building is likely to be a partnership venture.

I recall drinking and dancing at Sammy’s.  In recent years it has been used mainly for rock concerts. If it was a commercially viable venue, it would have a commercial purchaser. Dunedin has no shortage of concert and arts venues. And the Council admits it doesn’t know what to do with it. Basically they have just spent $128,000 of ratepayers money to feel good about it.