Wellington’s “Great News Day” – Board approves $ 179 million to repair and modernize the library

Sir Ian Athefield can rest in peace. Nikau’s palm trees are safe, and so is his building.

On what Mayor Andy Foster called “Great News Day” in Wellington, the city council on Wednesday voted unanimously to reform the late architect’s central library, at a cost of $ 179 million.

In doing so, they turned their backs on the public’s favorite option for a new construction, the estimated cost of which is $ 180 million.

Foster told the meeting Wednesday that this was “an important decision, and the community wants us to continue and make it.”

Read more: * Wellington Central Library should be repaired, not rebuilt, staff tell councilors * “Give it up and start over”: the public told Wellington City Council to tear down the Central Library * Wellington council members are at odds over central library plans

And they did so, with this decision apparently influenced by the ability of designers and engineers to lower the large initial cost estimate for repairing the building from $ 200 million to $ 178.7, including base insulators to reduce future earthquake risks, and upgrades to achieve this. The Library in the Twenty-First Century.

Like the majority of applicants and those surveyed in an independent survey, some board members were dismayed by this initial high estimate.

The Council received 1456 written submissions regarding the five options on the table, which included varying degrees of reinforcement (AC options), while Options D and E relate to the new structures.

Comments showed that 42 percent of people supported Option D – building a new library on the current site – while 31 percent preferred Option C, which was chosen by the councilors.

A separate survey provided a similar but narrower margin of support for new construction.

Ross Giblin / Staff

Wellington Central Library has closed its doors since it was declared earthquake-prone in March of last year.

Foster said at a meeting on Wednesday that he was “drawn into a quick fix job.” His deputy, Jill Day, had also “preferred the cheap option”.

But Foster, Day and others were impressed by Council officials’ work to bridge the gap in costs and introduce a “own-everything” option that preserved the building’s legacy, and improved access to Civic Square and the library with modern facilities.

Foster called it “exciting”.

“We will present something that will be much better, more engaging and easy to access.”

Chancellor Jenny Conde said she would realize all the benefits of Option D – New Construction – “to keep the same building at the same price… without a“ battle over heritage value ”that would disrupt the project.

Wellington City Council

A $ 179 million upgrade is planned for Wellington Central Library, which is prone to earthquakes, with a target opening date in May 2025.

Iona Panett said the planet would also be the winner. Board members were concerned about the impact of demolition on carbon emissions.

“Preserving the building was the best environmental result,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful story for Wellington, which has enabled us to keep our unique building in a unique location,” said Lori Vaughn.

Wellington City Council

An upgrade will transform the earthquake-prone library into a modern 21st century library.

Taxpayers may be able to save more money, after council members have approved an amendment that allows officers to “improve” the building’s impact in design, and possibly add floors and leasehold space.

“The whole project is an opportunity that is only repeated once in a generation,” said Fleur Fitzsimons in support of the amendment.

“We’ve already engaged the experts, so it’s about looking at construction from the outside and up … Take the opportunity to look at the full potential of the site.”

The board will now begin more detailed design work, with the goal of putting something more important to the public in March next year, as part of its long-term plan process.

Former Mayor Helen Ritchie was “extremely pleased” that the building would not be demolished, even if it would have cost four times what it would have cost if it had been simply repaired.

She advocated a cheaper option to fix the library and open it sooner.

“It is practically a new building,” she said. “It’s a very attractive new design” that will require very strict contract management by the board.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that the cost will go up … and I will congratulate the board if it doesn’t.”

She was concerned about the council’s plans to “improve” the building’s footprint and make the most of any opportunities for remodeling and retrofitting.

“This was not done to consult at all … because people would have considered whether they thought the building could preserve its heritage [value] By going up or out, which is what this mod will do.

“The additional cost of capital will be substantial.”

Ross Geblin / stuff

Wellington Central Library closed on March 19, 2019 after receiving advice from engineers that the building might not be safe in the event of an earthquake.

The library was closed indefinitely on March 19, 2019, after the board received engineering advice on significant vulnerabilities in the earthquake.

This included “specific structural concerns” with library floor benches, similar to those in the Statistics New Zealand building that partially collapsed in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.

At the time, the mayor at the time, Justin Lister, described the library as “the living room of the city” and said that about 3,000 people, including 500 children, visited it daily.

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