Council has sold two of the four relocatable buildings it had up for tender, and is now offering community groups a chance to buy three older prefab classrooms at the former Polytech site on Cameron Street for just $1 each.

There is a catch to the cheap price tag though, tenderers must be able to pay to remove the old prefabs, and Council will decide the successful bidders on the basis of the proposed benefit to the community.

Tenders will open on Wednesday 2 October and close at 12pm on Wednesday 13 November. The prefabs need to be removed by 14 March 2025.

Read the tender documents here.

The buildings failed to attract conforming tenders when Council put several relocatable buildings up for sale recently.

Mid Canterbury Rugby Union bought the former council chambers for $130,000 +GST, and Talley’s bought the former staff tearooms for $30,000 +GST.

Chief Executive Hamish Riach said there were a range of tender prices submitted for these two buildings and after a full consideration and debate Council selected the highest bids in both cases.

“Now we are selling the three older prefab classrooms to community groups for $1 each, though there are conditions that they must be able to relocate them. Two of the prefabs are joined so must be sold together, and one can be sold separately.”

As part of the Long Term Plan 2024-34, Council decided to demolish or relocate the buildings on the old Polytech site at Cameron Street, and redevelop it as an unsealed gravel car park.

Council has signed up Property Brokers agent Hamish Niles to sell the former council administration building at 5 Baring Square West and the building will be on the market soon, with a deadline sale end date of 8 November.