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Building of new library a step closer
The building of the new Library/Service
Centre and Learning Centre for south
Christchurch is due to get underway in
September, with tenders for construction
being called this month. The combined Centre will be built on
Council land where the Beckenham Service
Centre is now. The last day of business at the
present Beckenham Service Centre (Hunter
Terrace/Colombo Street) will be Thursday 11
July, 2002. It is expected that the old building
will be demolished late this month. The staff will move to temporary premises
at 148 Colombo Street (previously the
Giera Real Estate office) on Saturday 13 July,
2002. This office will be open from 8.30am
on Monday 15 July 2002 and thereafter
between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to
Friday. Current services will still be available
at the temporary location. The new building will be a “sustainable”
building in terms of energy use and waste
minimisation, a theme that came across
strongly during the public consultation
process, says Christchurch City Council
project manager Ian McKenzie. Some of the sustainable principles will
include using material with a recycled
content; using timber from a sustainable
source and free of harmful chemicals;
incorporating durable materials to minimise
the use of applied surface finishes such as
paint; collecting and storing rainwater to
reduce over-all water use and reduce storm
water run-off; implementing a site specific
waste management plan during construction;
keeping the trees along Hunter Terrace and
Colombo Street; using plumbing fittings that
reduce water use and ensuring space for
collecting and storing recyclable materials. As well as a Library and Service Centre,
the building will include a Learning Centre
to cater to the needs of primary school
students and be used by community groups
in the evening. The new Library aims to have a collection
of up to 60,000 books with existing library
services at Spreydon and St Martins Adult
Voluntary Library continuing. The St Martins Children’s Library will
relocate to the new facility.
The combined Centre is planned to open
around May next year. |