COMMUNITY HUB AND LIBRARY PROJECT MARKS A NEW CHAPTER IN BEAUDESERT’S GROWTH
The vision for a landmark project to transform Beaudesert is taking shape, with Scenic Rim Regional Council approving proposed designs of the new Community Hub and Library.
At its Ordinary Meeting yesterday, Council recommended that the proposed Beaudesert Community Hub and Library’s detailed designs, which were developed following community consultation, be submitted to acquit the Queensland Government's Maturing the Infrastructure Pipeline Program funding agreement.
The designs are for a multi-purpose building that integrates with the existing Beaudesert Administration Building on Brisbane Street with a new Community Hub and Library to meet the growing needs of a growing community.
Mayor Greg Christensen said the Community Hub and Library marked the beginning of a new era for Beaudesert, with planning for a long-term asset for current and future generations of Scenic Rim residents part of a broader vision for the revitalisation of the town centre.
“In 2016 a review of library spaces showed the community had long outgrown the current Beaudesert Library and that, to meet continuing growth projected to 2031, a community hub and library would need to be four times the size of the existing building’s footprint,” he said.
“Feedback from library users and the wider community and businesses in 2019 and 2020 has helped to shape the planning for what will be a landmark project in the life of our region.”
The gross floor area for the Community Hub and Library will be 2,031 m2 with the community hub and library occupying 1,947m2 and the remainder being the easily accessible entrance and customer foyer.
The design and use of the space that is currently the entry to the Beaudesert Administration building will be considered in further planning with the potential to revise the current method of customer service delivery and expand the public space for meeting rooms and include a link to The Centre and Art Gallery.
The new library will cater for users of all ages and abilities and include:
• young adults’ resources
• a children's collection
• the main library collection
• lounge areas with three separate spaces
• a media room
• a children's space for group activities and reading nooks
• a parents’ room
• a local history area, including Indigenous culture
• an IT area with 16 public computers
• three meeting rooms for up to six people each
• a large training room with access to kitchen facility for onsite or outside catering
• two private study rooms
• intimate reading nooks
• booth-style seating to accommodate small groups for casual social meetings
• a maker space with a 3D printer for a variety of workshops
• self-check-out of resources with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
• a customer service area, providing a one-stop-shop for library and Council services
• easy access to storage and delivery area for resources
• public and all-abilities amenities
• after-hours lockers for accessing reserved library resources
• two lifts for resource delivery and for customers
• 37 new undercover carparks for customer parking only, including four disability spaces to provide easy access for customers with mobility issues
• underground onsite water storage to sustainably offset town water usage, and
• rooftop solar panels to offset electricity costs.
Detailed designs for the Community Hub and Library will be on display at Council’s Beaudesert Town Centre Revitalisation pop-up shop, the Beauy Hub, which is expected to open in early April on Brisbane Street, opposite the Beaudesert Administration Building.
Plans for the Beaudesert Town Centre Revitalisation project, including Davidson Park, will also be available for viewing as part of the Vibrant and Active Towns and Villages project.
“We will be announcing more details on the pop-up hub soon and I encourage community members to make the most of this opportunity to call in and see the exciting changes planned for the Beaudesert precinct overall and to ask questions about any of the project components,” Cr Christensen said.