Tochigi Prefecture announces 102.9 billion yen tender for cultural hub

Tochigi Prefecture has officially announced a public tender for the development and operation of the ‘Culture and Knowledge’ creation hub project. The project, structured as a Private Finance Initiative (PFI), has an estimated price of 102.95 billion yen excluding tax.

The initiative involves the new construction and relocation of three major facilities—the prefectural art museum, the library, and the archives—to the former site of the prefectural gymnasium in Nakatosai, Utsunomiya City. The site covers approximately 32,815 square meters, with a total floor area of about 30,000 square meters.

Interested groups must submit expressions of interest between December 21 and December 25. The project timeline includes design and construction through June 2033, with facility preparation starting in April 2031. Operation and maintenance are scheduled to run from June 2034 until March 2049. The tender evaluation will consist of a performance review (800 points) and a price review (200 points).