The City of Greater Bendigo has released plans for its proposed new Kangaroo Flat library to be established at the former Lockwood Road Senior Citizens building from June 2020.
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The Lockwood Road premises will undergo a $1.38 million redevelopment to provide a 50 per cent larger, centrally located library facility to service Kangaroo Flat's growing community well into the future.
Chief executive officer Craig Niemann said the City had considered a number of buildings before opting on the Lockwood Road site, which is also owns, as the best location for the relocated library facility.
Other sites rejected included a shop within Lansell Square Shopping Centre, JB Osbourne Theatre at Crusoe Secondary College and the Railway Shed near the Kangaroo Flat Railway Station.
Site ownership and fit for purpose were the major reasons for these locations being deemd unsuitable.
Works on the new library will start early next year, with concept drawings released this week showing a new entrance into the building, services upgraded, repairs to the existing building structure undertaken and solar panels to make the building more sustainable will be installed.
Mr Niemann said additional works would be undertaken to improve and beautify the exterior facade of the building, formalise car parking and landscaping will also be carried out.
"The move to Lockwood Road is an innovative and financially responsible solution for the future of the Kangaroo Flat Library.
It's a strong investment in Kangaroo Flat's future that will result in a superior library that is double the size and fit for purpose.
Goldfields Libraries Corporation CEO Mark Hands said ongoing population growth in the Kangaroo Flat area in recent years has placed additional demands on the existing library service.
"The Kangaroo Flat Library has really outgrown the existing building so the move to Lockwood Road is exciting because not only are we increasing the size of the library but also the services we provide," Mr Hands said.
The City of Greater Bendigo has applied for a Victorian Government Living Libraries Grant of $750,000 from the state government to help undertake the work.
Goldfields Library Corporation will also contribute $50,000 and the City of Greater Bendigo will provide the balance.
The community can have a say about library services by completing an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/W2MNY5C
Residents are also invited to attend an Open House Session at 21 Lockwood Road to check out the new premises and learn more about our plans before the building works get underway.
The sessions will take place at 10am Saturday November 30 and 5.30pm on Wednesday December 4, 2019.