By Matthew Sims
Maribyrnong council has endorsed the final designs of its Civic and Community Hub project, which would see the Footscray Town Hall refurbished and the demolition of office buildings.
Other key items outlined in the final designs included returning the Footscray Town Hall to community use, a provision for a future third floor, a civic park space and a flexible office layout.
Deputy mayor Sarah Carter said the project would strike the right balance between maintaining the historical aspects of the building and creating modern assets for future users.
“This asset belongs to the community,” she said.
“There are many iterations of that connection to the historical part of the building that we hope to return to its glory and to community use.
“We have to balance that with an operational workplace.”
The cost estimate received at the completion of detailed design stage indicated a total project cost of between $35.2 and $36 million.
Council aimed to fund the building works with a $10 million low interest loan from the state government through the Community Infrastructure Loan Scheme with a 10 year repayment term, as well as through council’s major project reserves.
Stony Creek ward councillor Bernadette Thomas said she was keen to see the hub deliver a six-star Green Star accrediation.
“I’m really pleased that it’s also going to be six-star Green Star and it’s going to be one of the first buildings under that accreditation,” she said.
“That makes me really happy because I know that that means that it’ll be really comfortable…not just for the staff but also for the community when they come and use it.”
Yarraville ward councillor Michael Clarke said the building would be “a testament to the western metropolitan region”.
The council has planned to release tenders for the project at the end of June, with the contract estimated to be awarded in September.
Details: www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/civic-precinct
