Library services suspended as upgrade begins

Library users in and around Ōrewa will have no service available locally for four weeks, from the time the library on Moana Avenue closes on June 10 until a temporary mini library opens at the Ōrewa Community Centre on July 8.

Auckland Council is undertaking an extensive upgrade of the library, which includes building a mezzanine floor.

Construction work will begin, on July 1, and the library will be closed for “about 15 months”, an Auckland Council spokesperson said.

It’s the second time the estimated time for the work has been extended and the starting time pushed back: Last October, a senior official said the upgrade would begin in March and take about nine months. And in April, council said the work would begin in May and take approximately a year.

Visitor numbers at Ōrewa Library have increased to more than 235,000 a year. The $5.5 million project, approved and funded by the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, aims to transform the outdated building into a modern community facility.

The existing footprint will be retained but reconfigured, a mezzanine floor will be added, and the leaking curved roof will be replaced with a new mono pitch roof.

Council manager area operations Sandra May explained how the transition process will work.

Library services will be suspended from Monday, June 10, to give staff sufficient time to relocate resources and set up the temporary mini library service at the community centre.

Initial site preparations, including fencing, signage and safety measures, will be made from June 20, with physical work expected to get underway from July 1, she said.

On July 8, the mini library at the community centre will open. It will be located in the small hall, while the centre’s main hall remains available for community use.

“We understand this change may be frustrating for some customers and we are working to mitigate that as we move towards the next stage of the redesign,” May said. “Plans are underway to set up an ex-mobile library to house the children’s library at the community centre for the duration of the project.”

In addition to the temporary facility, customers are welcome to use other libraries throughout the build period. Those nearest to Ōrewa are Whangaparāoa (9km), Albany village (21km) and East Coast Bays (24km).

Local Board deputy chair Gary Brown said the upgrade was essential and would be well worth the wait. 

“We know that the library is a popular hub for our community and that closing it will be inconvenient to all,” he said. “The ever-increasing demand on library services with visitor numbers topping 235,000, our area’s growing population, along with the building’s maintenance requirements – this upgrade needs to happen.

Brown said plans were in place to minimise the effects of the closure.

“All credit to library staff who are doing everything they can to reduce the impact on the community as much as possible,” he said.

“The upgraded library is going to be amazing and has significant improvements for everyone. The downstairs area won’t be cramped and cluttered anymore. It will have better sightlines and be more open. There will be more spaces to relax and a new lift to the mezzanine floor.”

According to a budget breakdown, the cost of the physical work will be $3.9 million. Other costs are for design consultancy services ($330,000), ancillary work ($260,000), fixed furniture and equipment ($160,000), temporary relocation services ($60,000), project management fees ($50,000) and consent fees ($23,000). A contingency of $717,000 makes up the total project cost of $5.5 million.