new Library project
Community building is on time and on budget.
Katikati’s book readers and library lovers can rest assure the new community building is on time and on budget.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s customer relationships manager BarbaraWhitton confirmed the library project had progressed smoothly, was on time and within the $4.5 million budget set.
“Construction for the new Katikati library, service centre and community hub began in September 2017,” Ms Whitton said.
“Since that time, the early contractor involvement and value engineering processes alongwith the exclusion of some items have contributed to this success,” she said.
The two-level building, with a mezzanine floor, would comprise of an 800 square metre library and Western Bay of Plenty District Council service centre and a 400sq mcommunity hub.
The new facility culminates 14 years of planning, including the purchase by council in 2011 of the former Dunning Block, on which the new building stands.
It would provide a central link between the main street and the TalismanDrive commercial area.
Council also claimed other savings had been made since the build began, including savings of $16,000 on pre-cast material, $6500 on spine paint finish and $6800 on plasterboard (pending).
Funding for the project has come from Lotteries ($350,000), the Katikati Community Board ($566,000) and the balance from a council loan. Council gained an additional $50,000 from the Lion Foundation for an operable wall within the hub building and the Katikati Community Board has pledged a further $30,000 for the hub kitchen joinery, sink and tapware and appliances.
Funding is still sought for a second move able wall and furniture for the community hub.
The opening of the new Katikati Library, Service Centre and Community Hub is planned for late August.
Council has approved the project and appointed the construction company Watts and Hughes Limited to build the library for $3.8m at 21Main St.
The total budget for the project is set at $4.5m and includes construction costs, fees and contingencies. While the current estimated cost exceeds this amount, council has the flexibility to delay or leave out some elements of the project during construction to remain within the budget limit.
Western Bay of Plenty communications team leader Alistair Gray said the construction project was approved by council on the condition it was achieved within the $4.5m budget.
However, some ratepayers are voicing concern about the high cost of the library and the impact of the rates on those with fixed incomes.
AKatikati resident who only wanted to be identified by his first name Robert said he was a pensioner and had concerns about the cost.
“I think the money could have been spent more wisely,” Robert said.
He visited the Katikati Library twice aweek and believed the current building could have been been extended.
New Katikati resident Charlene Birch, who moved from Orewa four months ago, supported the library development.
“I have heard people saywe don’t need that, but I think we do because of the continued growth in the district.”
The Western Bay council was due to meet today to discuss the naming of the new Katikati library and community space.
The council is recommended to formally adopt the name of the new Katikati Library and Community Hub complex as ‘The Centre’ and that the name ‘Piituki Manawa’ (meaning the beating heart) be adopted for reference to new Library/Community Hub and Town Centre.
Meanwhile, at the time of the project launch in 2016, Western Bay councillor PeterMackay said Katikati had waited a long time in the queue for the community development to proceed while significant projects in other parts of the district had taken precedence.
“This facility comes at a crucial time whenKatikati’s population is growing rapidly and the present facilities are totally inadequate for local demand,” he said.
“It’s not just the library and council services centre that is needed— we havemany not-forprofit groups in our community that are sorely stressed for this kind of space for their organisations to do their work.”
The multimillion-dollar project gained community input through the council’s 2015 LTP, and Annual Plan processes.