Thursday 13 June 2013

Bishopdale Library and Community Centre to be repaired

Bishopdale Library and Community Centre is expected to re-open in June next year after Christchurch City Council today agreed it should be repaired to 100 per cent of the new building code.

The Council closed the library and community centre in November 2011 after a Detailed Engineering Evaluation showed its seismic capacity was four per cent of the New Building Standard (NBS) and it had significant structural damage.

The repair and strengthening work, which will cost an estimated $1.25m, will mostly be funded intially from the Council’s Infrastructure and Facilities Betterment Fund as the Council is continuing discussions with its insurers to ensure it receives what is properly payable under the Council’s insurance policy.

The work is expected to get underway in November this year once engineers have developed detailed repair and strengthening options and consents have been granted.

Mayor Bob Parker says today’s decision is a huge win for the community. “Libraries are such an important part of our city, both for educational and social reasons. The Bishopdale Library and Community Centre is central to the lives of Bishopdale residents and the decision to repair it is a crucial step in this community’s recovery, and the recovery of our city.”

General Manager Community Services Michael Aitken says due to the building’s structural damage, ‘make safe’ work will need to be carried out before a full damage assessment and the development of more detailed repair options can be carried out.

“The level of damage the building has incurred has made it difficult for us to finalise the assessments we need to do for insurance purposes. However, we will now be able to complete these assessments as we carry out the repairs, which will ensure the building can be re-opened more quickly.”

Bishopdale Library and Community Centre is one of the top 30 projects that in September 2012 the Council prioritised for further investigations, funding and, where possible, repair.

For more information about the Council’s top 30 projects and its Facilities Rebuild Plan project, visit www.futurechristchurch.co.nz

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