Library lovers in Helensburgh get ready to rejoice – the location for the future Helensburgh Community Centre & Library has been revealed as 53-55 Walker Street.
The land is adjacent to the existing library and, following strategic land acquisition in recent years, is already in Council ownership.
The selection location follows detailed investigations by Council into a number of sites within the township for the facility, and responds to community feedback gathered during consultation around the Helensburgh Park Plan of Management.
"This will be positive news for the local community who are aware that Council has been working for some time on plans for a new facility for the suburb,'' Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"It will be a similar concept to the well-loved combined community centre and library facilities in Thirroul and Corrimal and will sit on land adjacent to the existing library site. The intention is for it to be designed to provide flexible spaces so well as a library and a social space, it'll be for the community to hire for meetings, dance classes or even birthday parties.
"Its central location in Helensburgh's CBD means it also provides opportunities for people to visit the centre in addition to their day-to-day activities like visiting the local shops, cafes and restaurants.''
Caption: The location of the future Helensburgh Community Centre & Library has been announced as 53-55 Walker Street, Helensburgh. Pictured: Councillor David Brown, Wollongong City Council Director Community Services Kerry Hunt, Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Tania Brown, Wollongong Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM and Councillor Cameron Walters at the site.
With the announcement of the future centre's site selection, Council can now start on a comprehensive planning and design process.
"We intend to hit the ground running with this project and to meet an ambitious construction start date of autumn,'' Wollongong City Council's Director Community Services Kerry Hunt said.
"Soon we'll have people on the site testing for whether soil remediation will be required, and to understand what's below the ground surface as the subsoil makeup will inform the final design.
"In the coming months, we'll be sharing updates with the community and undertaking a consultation process to confirm that what we've been told previously by the community still meets their needs in terms of plans for the future facility.''
Once the new integrated community centre and library has been constructed, the adjoining land where the current library stands will be sold, and the funds raised through the sale going towards covering the overall cost of the facility.
Coinciding with the announcement of the site for the new library and community centre, Council is also sharing an update on the currently closed community centre.
From 2025, the portion of the centre that directly fronts Walker Street will reopen temporarily to provide additional meeting spaces in the suburb.
"While we're working on these long-term plans, we know there is the challenge of providing alternative meeting rooms in the short-term for the community,'' Cr Bradbery said.
"We've continued to look at the Community Centre since its closure. We've been able to establish that the centre's mould issues have a number of contributing factors. In the coming months repairs will start on the youth rooms portion of the building as this is where it has been established the mould was connected to roofing problems. Once the repair and remediation of this section has been completed, it can be reopened.
"This will no doubt be good news for the community who will have two meeting rooms and an office that will be available for hire from 1 January 2025.''
The stage, main hall and rooms linked to the main entry foyer will remain closed and off-limits as the mould issues in these spaces are more complex. Measures will be put in place to ensure community members do not access areas of the centre that have issues with mould.
"The long-term plan for the current community centre site remains focussed on eventual demolition,'' Ms Hunt said.
"However, by being able to carry out these repairs to a portion of the building, we're able to provide some additional spaces for the Helensburgh community on a temporary basis that will help until we're able to open the doors on an exciting new community centre and library.''
Caption: The current library in Helensburgh.
