The future of Wellington’s defunct central library is a step closer to being decided, 16 months after it was deemed a quake risk and closed.
A report by Wellington City Council officers recommends councillors approve a $200 million plan to strengthen the 27-year-old building, extending its life expectancy by 50 years.
It would take about five years to complete the work.
It’s the most costly of five proposals and includes the building being put on base isolators. The other options included varying degrees of strengthening as well as demolishing and rebuilding.
Last year, an engineer’s report found the building to have hollow core flooring which could pancake in a strong earthquake.
Three small libraries around the CBD have opened over the past year as a stand in for the main library.
The council would like the Government to contribute to the $200 million strengthening work and has applied to the “shovel-ready” project scheme for an unstipulated amount of funding.
The proposal goes out to public consultation on July 27.
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