The Ministry of Education is set to begin procuring design and construction services for a school property project in Blenheim which will transform the delivery of education in Marlborough.
The project will co-locate Marlborough Boys’ and Marlborough Girls’ College on the site currently occupied by Marlborough Girls’ and Bohally Intermediate. The Intermediate will be relocated and rebuilt on the current Marlborough Boys’ College site.
A market engagement session will be held in Blenheim on August 3, and another in Christchurch on August 4, so construction industry representatives can learn more about the project ahead of the formal procurement that will commence shortly.
Kim Shannon, the Ministry’s Head of Education Infrastructure Service says the start of procurement is always an important milestone for a project.
“The co-location of Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges and relocation of Bohally Intermediate will be one of the biggest projects that the Ministry has ever delivered. The project will transform education in Marlborough, as well as supporting the Top of the South in its post-Covid recovery.”
“We hope to engage a contractor before the end of the year, so we can start the master planning and design phases in early 2021, which will then inform construction timeframes,” says Kim Shannon.
“This is a really exciting time for all three schools, as well as the wider Blenheim community, and we’re looking forward to working with them as the project progresses.”