Trust to take over library building
A long-established community trust is about to take over the Hornby library building with the help of a $315,000 grant from the city council.
The library in Goulding St will close later this month and its books and services will be transferred to a new library, pool and service centre in Kyle Park, which opens on April 19.
Christchurch City Council unanimously decided on Wednesday to give the existing library building to the Hornby Community Care Trust, which already operates from an adjoining premises.
The council also decided to grant the trust $315,400 from its capital endowment fund, which was set up in 2001 with the proceeds of a gas company sale.
The money was granted as an acknowledgement that the council had deferred maintenance and remedial repairs on the building because it had always planned to exit the property.
A council report said its strategy had been to “sweat” the asset and only do essential repairs and maintenance.
The trust wanted to take over ownership of the building, but had been concerned about what it would inherit, the report said.
Providing the money would ensure the trust was not set up to fail and that the building could be put into a sound, weather-tight and fit-for-purpose condition, the council said.
Staff said they were satisfied the trust had the necessary resources and ability to own and manage the entire facility for the benefit of the community.
The expansion would allow the trust, which was first established in 1979, to create a dedicated health and wellbeing hub, provide affordable meeting spaces and set up a community cafe.
Trust chairperson Bob Shearing told councillors on Wednesday that the Hornby community would be so much better off for having the expanded centre.
He also praised the council for building a new pool, library and service centre building.
“The community is going to benefit from all this work. Thank you.”
Shearing, a former city councillor, said it had been a long journey to get to this point and he acknowledged the work was only just starting for the trust.
More than 20 different groups already operate from the trust’s Goulding St base.
The Goulding Ave library will close on March 28 so it can be shifted to the long-awaited Matatiki Hornby Centre, on Waterloo Rd.
However, the existing customer services desk will remain open until April 19.
Matatiki has a library, creative activities room, a lane pool, a learn-to-swim pool, a toddlers’ wet play area, a spa pool, hydrotherapy pool, a customer services zone and a cafe.