Wollongong City Council has put out a tender for the new $30 million library and community centre which will be built in Warrawong starting from next year.
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The council said its expression of interest process, which opened last week and closes on August 29, was the first stage of finding contractors to develop the "large scale" Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library.
The new building will be developed at the corner of King and Greene Streets in Warrawong on a parcel of land that's currently home to the existing community centre, as well as other properties on King Street.
Construction is anticipated to start during the first half of 2024 and take about two years to complete, opening in early 2026.
Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said the tender was an exciting milestone for residents of Berkeley, Lake Heights, Cringila, Warrawong, Port Kembla, Primbee and Windang.
"This is a major, multimillion-dollar project for Council and such a significant investment in our southern suburbs,'' he said.
"For the residents of this area, they're one step closer to a facility is similar in concept to the purpose-built, combined community centres and libraries at Dapto, Corrimal and Thirroul.
"And while we might be a few years away from the expected opening in 2026, this step is something to recognise and celebrate.''
He said the building, which the council says will cost "more than $30 million", was one of a number of new developments that would change the landscape of Warawong's town centre.
"There has been a lot of talk recently about Warrawong's centre and potential changes to this area and this only increases the need for a hub that provides a range of services to the surrounding community," he said.
"This building will change the landscape of the Warrawong Town Centre. It's Council's intention for this to be a real community hub, and a space where people can visit, learn, play and socialise.''
Planning for the facility has been underway for more than a decade.
The council has already done detailed design work, acquired of several properties along King Stree which will be demolished to make way for the new building and put in development approvals for construction.
"Major projects like this take time to deliver," the council's general manager Greg Doyle said.
"We've had to work through a compulsory acquisition process for properties on King Street, and the three-level building has had robust planning around it to manage flooding risk, streetscape works and intersection improvements."
He said the council would be seeking people who can work with steel and concrete, as well as workers skilled in hydraulics, audio visual, flood management and landscaping to build the facility.
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Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
