Ngati Kahungunu wants to build a cultural and innovation centre in Napier, which will become the focal point for the iwi.
Chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana says it's one of the priorities in a 25 year vision plan to ensure their customs, language and protocols continue to be alive and well.
He says the iwi has 90 marae, each of them telling their own hapu story, but there's no central point which people can come to and hear the Kahungunu story.
Mr Tomoana says extensive consultation found there's general agreement to have an innovation centre which will accommodate all the performing arts.
He says a workshop is being held in Hastings on Friday to discuss the possible concepts and designs of a centre, to be built on a strategic site near the Ahuriri estuary.
