By Jeremy Sollars
The Southern Downs Regional Council will hold a public meeting at the Stanthorpe Civic Centre on options for the re-location of the Stanthorpe Library from 5.30pm until 6.30pm next Wednesday 8 August 2018.
The meeting is part of public consultation the council is undertaking on shifting the Library after councillors formally received a consultant’s report at their July general meeting.
The council commissioned consultants Complete Urban in March to undertake a study on the Library, which needs to move to allow for a planned expansion of the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, currently sharing space with the Library in Weeroona Park.
Complete Urban came up with a range of options, two of which involve re-locating existing areas within the Stanthorpe Civic Centre opposite Weeroona Park to accommodate the Library.
Other options are the construction of a new library building adjoining the Civic Centre or expansion of the existing building in the park.
As reported in the Free Times the cost estimates are as follows –
• New single-storey library in Civic Centre – re-locate Supper Room to Exhibition Space – $2,024,852
• New two-storey library, Civic Centre Exhibition Space (re-locate Bar to Supper Room) – $2,765,042
• Build new single-storey library adjoining Civic Centre – $1,806,000
• Expand existing library in Weeroona Park – $1,625,060
A statement released by the council after last week’s July meeting said copies of the Stanthorpe Library feasibility study will be made available for viewing at Council’s Stanthorpe and Warwick administration buildings and libraries, Allora library, Stanthorpe Art Gallery and on the SDRC website at www.sdrc.qld.gov.au
