New $28m library call made

The city library is to be replaced with a new one.

The City Transformation Committee is recommending the city council focus on developing plans for a new library building, instead of trying to upgrade the existing 20 year old building.

'It is clear that the cost and risks of remediation of the current building are not sustainable, and the best solution going forward for a Library is to plan for a new building,” says transformation committee chair Larry Baldock.

'A new building provides us the opportunity to deliver a fit for purpose central library service and strongly supports a more vibrant, safe and successful city centre. We have received a clear message from our community to ‘do it once and do it right', and the decision to plan for a new building is in line with that.”

The committee is following the advice of independent property advisors TwentyTwo whose assessment is that it will be too difficult to eliminate the current building's issues, that it would be inefficient and not cost-effective to remediate the current building for a central Library service.

The building was built in 1987 when the population of Tauranga was 60,000. It has dampness, damp smells and poor natural lighting. It has shallow foundations, and while not a seismic issue at present, it is unlikely to raising seismic issues for

Repair options are to spend $4.8 million on a cosmetic update which would bring the book value up from its current $2.27 million to about $4 million.

A more comprehensive internal and external $13.2 m refurbishment isn't guaranteed to fix the leaks and won't address the floor plate size, column layout and seismic rating.

The indicative cost to demolish and rebuild it is given as $28.3m.

The decision is supported by the community feedback which highly values the library service and recognises the need to modernise the central library.

The business case for a new central library will form part of a broader business case for cultural facilities including plans for a museum. Formal consultation on the redevelopment of the central library and the future use or demolition of the current library building will take place as part of the Long Term Plan process in early 2018.

You may also like....

20 comments

OMG

Posted on 04-08-2017 09:01 | By overit

That must be one helluva money tree the Council plucks from. Wow these guys have gone from reigning in spending to a massive blowout.


What

Posted on 04-08-2017 09:29 | By thebrad

You have to be kidding me 28 million for a library does the council have rock in there heads, im blown away just when you think they couldn't be any more dumb. WOW this is the 21st century library's are on there way out its only the baby boomers and the generation before them that use them. And dont get me started on the museum issue.


Building use by date

Posted on 04-08-2017 12:06 | By davidt5

If we could all afford to replace our homes, garages and other buildings evey 20 years we would have to be extremely wealthy individuals. Unfortunately we are unable to access almost unlimited funds from the rest of the community in a way that the council uses our rates. If everytime somebody spotted mould in their home they tore it down, we would have by far the most modern city in the world. When is our council going to move from lala land to arrive in the real world that the rest of the community live in? TCC operates one of the largest businesses in our community. But they certainly do not operate in a business like manner. Any other individual or business using the TCC template would have gone bankrupt a long time ago. Too many fat cats at the top of this organisation who are grossly overpaid andoutoftouchwithreality.


Dreaming

Posted on 04-08-2017 12:48 | By rastus

With the advent of the world wide web 'internet' where the availability of all types of books - Fact - fiction and all other forms of entertainment previously provided by libraries are freely available to a modern society why would any sensible human being even suggest that we the ratepayers need or want another financial millstone around our necks. I used to think that Larry Baldock was a sensible man and worthy of a position of trust - His utterances show that he is neither and has allowed the assumption of power to go right to his head - shame on you Larry, for not opening your eyes and seeing the reality of our modern world, and the obvious displeasure of those whom you claim to serve


Top floor only 12 years old!

Posted on 04-08-2017 14:13 | By Murray.Guy

Top floor offices and cafeteria only 12 years old so it's reasonable to assume that Larry feels the need to destroy that also? When will Larry tells us about demolishing Baycourt? I'm waiting on the TCC press release that tells us The Domain grandstand and Tauranga Old-boys club rooms have become invested with termites which are a risk to users, necessitating their destruction and a complete rebuild!


Dying activities - Library

Posted on 04-08-2017 14:52 | By MISS ADVENTURE

They are dissappearing fast as the internet use increases. The bill of $10m to fix the Admin building and library etc all looks a lot better as every day goes by.


@ Murray.Guy

Posted on 04-08-2017 15:29 | By MISS ADVENTURE

Nothing less than a spend up maniack is dear old Larry. Say anything, do anything to get the lavish new shinny things. ratepayers figured it out in 2013 still cant figure why hes back since, completely stumped on that. The shrew does not change its spots.


Big spenders ...

Posted on 04-08-2017 15:34 | By MISS ADVENTURE

Looks to me that the bill for a new all bells and whistles staff CBD lavish office etc is going to be $93 million plus, New Library $28 million plus (Katikati only $4.5m???), Museum $30 million plus, Bay Court replced say $25 million plus. So that is looking at some $176 million before we think about massive amounts of extras, fitout and cost blowouts, so that will easily get to $200 million plus. All new debt, if not then rent to pay. That does not include the land. Then it gets worse, the annual costs, losses and interest. That will be some $30 million annually on top of that.


Warning! Books are the very last bastion.

Posted on 04-08-2017 15:40 | By Papamoaner

Half tongue in cheek;- Once books and print media have gone, we will, as a species, be entirely dependent on electronics for our very survival. Einstein predicted "the world will not be destroyed by perpetrators, but by those who watch and do nothing" (from memory, so please excuse minor inaccuracies). The Electromagnetic Pulse Weapon developed by Boeing for the USAF, propagates a single pulse that can "switch off" an entire city by destroying anything containing a processor chip. That includes computers, wrist watches, heart pacemakers, vehicles, aeroplanes, houses, phones, radios,, energy supply, weapons control, news media, etc. Nothing is immune apart from books and print media, but even printing presses are process controlled now. Are we witnessing The fall of the human empire by stealth, as predicted by Albert Einstein all those years ago? Carrier pigeon anyone?


Bottomless Pit

Posted on 04-08-2017 16:07 | By papakiwi

The money tree that OMG refers to is called Ratepayers. Council appear to just want to spend spend spend. This is the trouble when Council members are overpaid for the little work that they do, and with some of them having other jobs their personal income is high and they think that as they can afford to pay extra rates to service the huge Council Debt then all residents including Pensioners and low income families can afford to pay as well. Since the Council decided to demolish the part of the building which they claim is mouldy, they have been looking at ways to pull everything down so they can all leave a monument to their time in Council. if I remember correctly some of the new Council members were voted in as ratepayers were sick of the rate increases caused by previous councillors.


As said - why would any sensible human being ...

Posted on 04-08-2017 16:18 | By MISS ADVENTURE

That is the missing factor, all wanting have long since lost this. Hence the decisions are opposite to logic, commonsense and anything rational.


Library

Posted on 04-08-2017 18:39 | By overit

I was in the library a month ago, on the second floor. There were workmen working there-why would the Council be wasting money knowing its all coming down. I am sick of these Councillors-a bl**dy joke. The Mayor is way out of touch with ratepayers.


Spending

Posted on 04-08-2017 19:14 | By sangrae

Did Mr Baldock get dumped from council a couple of elections ago, maybe it is time for him to get dumped next time around? Can someone please tell us who comes up with these figures is it the overpaid idiots employed by us ratepayers ie council staff?


Larry has a plan

Posted on 04-08-2017 21:42 | By waiknot

And we our children and grandchildren will still be paying it off when a new Larry decides it needs replacing sometime in the future.


Built just 20 years ago?

Posted on 05-08-2017 12:49 | By MISS ADVENTURE

Buildings are meant to be there for 50 years plus. Libraries are dying out so why rebuild at a huge cost? Wouldnt it be better to keep the other four or just refurb what's there until the short term remaining life span spins out and ends in the next five years, at best ten years.


Cheap is as cheap does,

Posted on 06-08-2017 12:01 | By R. Bell

At last TCC is starting to appreciate the need to do things properly. Our Murray bemoans the fact that the building was ad-hock. What you all need to understand is books are making a massive comeback worldwide, why? because "E" reading has no soul. People are rejecting it, ask Amazon. Do things on the cheap, and they will return to bight you in the bum. Learn from the past, reject negative, incessant criticism. Check out the new Greerton Library, proof positive of a modern library doing what libraries do best, get people of ALL ages reading, learning, relaxing, better able to contribute to our rapidly growing community. Robin Bell.


hang on a minute

Posted on 06-08-2017 16:33 | By old trucker

My thoughts on this,(why) dont they use Greeton libary instead, BUSES run all hrs out to there, this would save M$$$$$$$ILLIONS but hang on Larry wants all the BAUBLES for all the BLUDGERS,and new coffee machine etc,they will not move to the lakes as this would not let them have i hour smokos in red square, and all the beards and bludgers would not ride their bikes with their little back packs on that far out as they would be too tired to start work and do something worthwhile, (HANGON) they do nothing now,GOSH, i forgot that part, 600 bludgers work in TCC (i believe) my gosh, a ex worker says its very TOXIC there ,cause if you dont walk the line you are out,ive noticed so called Bosses walking out of there, with very shiny shoes,Sunlive is No1 in NEWS,Thankyou,10-4 out.


Tunnel vision, toxic fumes, midnight meat pies,

Posted on 07-08-2017 12:37 | By R. Bell

whatever the reason the trucker has lost it completely.Phew! I'd hate to meet him up a dark alley. Mind you it's all the usual bluff and bluster which is synonymous with lots of old truckers and their alternative identities, good for a giggle, that's about all. Meanwhile our new library continues to do what libraries do best. Robin Bell.


This

Posted on 07-08-2017 12:55 | By Capt_Kaveman

is why the cities core services and design are a major fail, but again you voted them in remember


@ master Bell

Posted on 17-08-2017 00:31 | By MISS ADVENTURE

You say "books are making a massive comeback ...", if that was so then obviously nothign to do with Libraries as the numbers are dwindalling worldwide and that trent has been well reported to our beloved COuncillors here in Tauranga many times. what is baffelling is that when there is less need, less use and generally pointless TCC wants to build bigger, better than ever before all at record breaking cost. You guessed it, always spending someone/everyone else's money/earnings. The entire thing is stupid is as stupid does. Most in a library today are: - have a coffee, read a free newspaper, surf the net for free. If you are really lucky someone will wander down past a shelf with books on it likely heading somewhere like the Jon! That all somehow justifies spednign $28 million of ratepayers debt monies? Mortgaging future generations is the end result.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.