Whangarei District Council says a Hundertwasser art centre in the city would lift the city out of the economic doldrums.
The council has unveiled a scale model of a building designed for Whangarei by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 17 years ago.
The council says research shows a Hundertwasser centre would attract 200,000 visitors per year.
Cr Kahu Sutherland says the people of Whangarei must now decide if they want a $12 million work of art.
Hundertwasser, an Austrian artist, was a New Zealand citizen. He died in 2000 and is buried at his property near Kawakawa.
