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One of Rodney’s most popular and well used facilities, the Mahurangi East Community Centre and Library, closed last week for at least five months, as a long-awaited $1.7 million upgrade and refurbishment was due to begin.
The closure will affect hundreds of library users and 60 different groups who use the venue for a wide range of activities, from basketball and pickleball through tai chi and yoga to drama classes, community cafes and college sports.
The work, which includes a new roof, cladding and floors, has been on the cards for several years, but the start date has regularly been delayed.
Auckland Council’s community places coordinator for East Rodney, Lisa Hampe, said it was frustrating for the many people who used the library and community centre in Hamatana Road.
“This project has been postponed multiple times and I’m really looking forward to that space being refurbished,” she told a Rodney Local Board workshop last Wednesday, April 10.
“Groups do get frustrated and to be fair, they’re allowed to be frustrated, because we don’t have any other sports venues in Snells Beach where you can do ball sports.”
Hampe said she had been working with all the hall users to find temporary solutions for more than 15 months, but even when the closure was scheduled, building contractors had tried to delay the work start date of April 15.
“They wanted to push it out another week and I said no because of the flow-on effect this would have in our communities,” she said. “I can’t keep pushing that out.”
Kumeu member Geoff Upson said, as a tradie himself, the request to delay the start of the project rang “massive alarm bells” for him, and he had visions of contractors turning up on day one and then abandoning the site for a month or more.
Chair Brent Bailey warned the work was almost guaranteed to take longer than planned.
“When they start the re-roofing, and pulling at the jumper and it starts unravelling, it will be important to mitigate the frustrations at the place still being closed, which is almost guaranteed, based on performance to date on every project where they’ve done this.
“But we know how these things go and we’ve got your back,” he reassured Hampe.
A project delivery update delivered to local board members a week earlier, four days before the library and centre closed, revealed that building consent for the work had yet to be issued. However, council’s head of area operations for parks and community facilities, Eli Nathan, said last week that was now in hand.
“A contractor has been secured to start preparations on site from Monday, April 15. Building consent for the project is being finalised – this is on track for works to begin as scheduled,” he said.
“The renewal includes a new roof and cladding, repainting, new flooring, reconfiguration of staff areas, and the upgrade of mechanical services.”
The total budget for the works is $1,695,723 and council hopes to reopen the library and community centre by the end of September.
A mobile library bus will be available from April 15 for the duration of the works at the nearby Mahurangi East Tennis Club carpark, which can be used for returning and picking up books and magazines, and limited browsing. Alternative library services such as computer and wi-fi access are available at Warkworth and Wellsford Libraries.
Hampe said alternative venues for community centre groups had been found in most instances, including the new Mahurangi Hope Centre in Warkworth for ball sports.
