A location has been confirmed for a new library and community hub in Takanini with Auckland Council entering a lease agreement with a local developer.
An agreement with Tonea Investments will see council leasing a building within the Takanini Village complex to house the long-awaited facility, which will provide library and community services and programmes to Takanini.
Papakura Local Board chair Brent Catchpole is delighted to see the project finally about to get underway.
“It’s a huge milestone because this is something the community has been calling for many years but it’s been a real challenge to find the right location, or at least available land in the right location.
“We also have a limited budget so with this agreement we can now move ahead with purpose and it’s great to see a local developer willing to partner with council to provide community facilities like this.”
Tonea Investments director James Wallace says the new facility will take pride of place at the north eastern corner of the site, on the corner of Walters and Arion roads.
“It will be a landmark building and a gateway to Takanini Village.”
On a personal level, Mr Wallace’s family has lived in the area for four generations and has watched the area grow and change with huge residential growth and says the new facility is desperately needed.
“The inclusion of civic buildings and public space is an essential part of our Takanini Town Centre vision, so not only will it bring more variety to what we have to offer but more importantly it will give our community a welcoming, relaxing and flexible community space we can all be proud of and enjoy.”
Mr Catchpole says the design of the new 600 metre square building will need to be flexible to meet current and future needs.
“It’s not a huge space so we have to be smart about its design so that it can have multiple uses.”
While Tonea will provide the building for lease, Auckland Council will be responsible for the fit out.
“Over the coming months we will be engaging with the community to get a better understanding of the specific things they would like to see in that building before coming up with a final design,” Mr Catchpole says.
All going to plan, earthworks could start this year with a completion date of late 2019.
