Quake risk shakes library
Palmerston North’s central library has been deemed earthquake-prone and will have to be strengthened or demolished.
But for now, the library and its George St tenants’ doors remain open for business, most of them telling Stuff they are not worried about the label.
The heritage building, which has housed the library for more than 22 years, meets only 20 to 25 per cent of new building standards, a detailed seismic assessment has shown.
Notices will go up at the doors to warn people it is 10 to 25 times more likely to fail in an earthquake than buildings meeting 100 per cent of the new standards.
The city council has accepted the assessment, but decided it is still safe to occupy the building, with some staff moving and limits on numbers attending events to make it easier for everyone to get out in an emergency.
The Library of the Future plans have been scuttled for now.
Council chief executive Heather Shotter said the building was on a priority route, but the council was still waiting for confirmation that meant it had 71⁄2 years rather than 15 to strengthen or demolish.
The next step would be to review what space a future library needed.
Options for the building included strengthening, partly demolishing and retaining the heritage facades, demolishing and rebuilding on the site, or building somewhere else.
The costs would be ‘‘substantial’’ and greater than the $5.5 million-plus budgets for other aspects of the building’s upgrade and maintenance in the council’s Long-term Plan.
Shotter said the library was the most popular service the council provided, and the public would be consulted before decisions were made.
Tenant Bruce Mckenzie said his bookshop would be staying put. He had been in the shop in an earthquake, and it was alarming, but not one book fell.
Mckenzie said he was disappointed the Library of the Future makeover would not happen. He had been looking forward to seeing the ground-level connection through to The Square.
Makeup studio owner Emma Doolan said she was not worried. Jillybud Florist and Vivo Hair Salon had decided to move before the assessment came through.
Moxies cafe owner Mike Waghorn said the notice would not make much difference, and there was ‘‘zero chance’’ demolition would be an option.
Shotter said the library review would be a key part of the new civic and cultural master plan the council was working on. Proposals for the Te Manawa 2025 makeover would be part of that planning work.
Shotter said ‘‘long term, this could be an exciting opportunity’’.
In the meantime, the public could be assured the building was not dangerous.
It had a code compliance certificate, a building warrant of fitness and the ground below was dense gravel over rock, with a low risk of liquefaction.
Strengthening work was done 22 years ago that no longer met new standards.