Gosford Regional Library: council votes on three storey stand alone option
IT’S been on the cards for 30 years, and now the Gosford Regional Library has a concept design. However it wasn’t an easy decision with councillors split over a stand alone option and 10 storey design with commercial and retail space.
Central Coast
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A STAND alone three storey library is the concept design for the long-awaited Gosford Regional Library.
It’s been a 30 year journey for the highly anticipated library, which finally has a confirmed design and ability to go forward.
Central Coast Council voted on the multistorey building with mezzanine and two levels of basement parking at an extraordinary meeting in Wyong last night.
However, the decision wasn’t unanimous with half the chamber preferring a 10 storey concept which included a library, commercial and retail space.
Councillors were split over the decision, and Mayor Jane Smith using her casting vote to secure the smaller concept at 123A Donnison St with options to extend in the future depending on funding commitments.
The cost of the three storey concept was around $20 million while the 10 storey building, which would have included the adjoining site, was more the $60 million. The council currently has $15 million committed to the development, including a $7 million from the Federal Government and $8.1 million from the former Gosford City Council’s “Special Rate Variation.”
Cr Smith said the 10 storey option “is not aligning our revenue with our expenses”.
“We do want to see innovation, but there is a responsibility for the council to limit the risk we expose our ratepayers to,” she said.
Councillor Rebecca Gale Collins agreed and said the decision was best for “financial and economic management”.
Councillor Richard Mehrtens disagreed and said the council should be building a world-class library.
“This is an amazing opportunity to activate Gosford,” he said.
Councillor Kyle MacGregor said building the smaller development now and adding further extensions later would blow the costs out immeasurably.
He said the decision would hold the Coast back “culturally, educationally and socially”.
“People of the Central Coast have been waiting for this for 30 years and deserve an iconic building,” he said.
ET Australia chief executive officer Tony Mylan spoke in favour of the larger development incorporating commercial space, and said the smaller option would leave the not-for-profit organisations operating out of the Parkway Building in the lurch.
However, the council committed to accommodate the organisations within an integrated precinct incorporating both the Regional Library and the Regional Performing Arts Centre.
The Federal Government’s funding is only on the condition the work is completed by 2020. The council is under a tight time frame and is already a number of years behind the commencement date.