Maroondah Council plans to relocate to REALM in Ringwood’s Town Square by 2023

MAROONDAH Council wants to leave its ageing home for a new sky-high base in Ringwood’s Town Square.

MAROONDAH Council wants to leave its ageing home for a new sky-high base in Ringwood’s Town Square.

And it ideally wants to complete the move within the next five years — and at no extra cost to ratepayers.

The council went public with its grand plan following Maroondah Leader’s inquiries last week, as part of an announcement of planned community facilities in Croydon and Ringwood.

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As part of the proposed move, the council would close its ageing facilities at Braeside Ave and Croydon’s Civic Square, which are both more than 50 years old.
It would be consolidated into a new space as part of an extended council hub at REALM, where the council already has a small service centre.

Maroondah Council is planning to close its Braeside Ave offices within five years and move to an expanded REALM. Picture: Kiel Egging.

REALM is also located inside the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre, of which the council recently released an updated masterplan for public consultation.

In a statement, Mayor Nora Lamont said the council wanted to relocate to an expanded REALM as it had been a highly successful facility since opening in 2015.

She also said the new offices would be more accessible by being close to public transport.

“The opportunity to locate a consolidated council administrative base within the Ringwood MAC aligns with Victorian Government objectives and provides one central location with

better public transport access,” Cr Lamont said.

The council would be consolidated into a new space as part of an extended council hub at REALM, where the council already has a small service centre.

The council previously negotiated a land swap deal with Eastland owners Queensland Investment Corporation to build REALM and the Ringwood Town Square, in exchange for the former Ringwood Plaza Library site on Warrandyte Rd.

A QIC spokeswoman, who did not want to be named, said they periodically discuss future uses of Eastland with the council and the discussions were commercial in confidence.

Eastern Regional Libraries Corporation chief executive Joseph Cullen, whose organisation operates REALM, was unable to be reached for comment last week.

Along with the REALM move, the council announced plans for its new Croydon Community Precinct, to be developed over the next 10 years with two new “hub” buildings.

It also released detailed plans for its proposed $10 million Karralyka Centre upgrade, which is subject to state and federal funding, as revealed by Maroondah Leader last month.

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