Cultural and Civic Space Project Update
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Cultural and Civic Space Project Update
Thank you to all of those people within the Coffs Harbour community who have used the new Heart of Coffs website and Facebook page to learn more about the Cultural and Civic Space and participate in constructive discussion.
NSW planning portal
For those wanting to make a submission on the development application for the Cultural and Civic Space, we encourage you to do so here as soon as possible – submissions close on Wednesday 30 October.
We encourage the community to ensure they are informed and educated about the Cultural and Civic Space and continue to check in to heartofcoffs.com.au for updated information, plans and images, the project video and FAQs.
Have your say - submissions close in 10 days
Formal submissions on the development application for the Coffs Harbour Cultural and Civic Space are open until Wednesday 30 October.
Submissions can be made on the NSW Government’s Major Projects portal, which is available here.
A whole suite of information is available on this site, including architectural plans, traffic, wind and noise assessments, Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment, flood, structural, fire and safety reports and tree impact assessments. A full list of Aboriginal, community and stakeholder consultation is also available.
The quiet revolution of local libraries
The Sydney Morning Herald recently featured a fantastic article on the renaissance of the library in a digital age.
The new Harry Bailey Memorial Library is set to have a strong focus on digital literacy, as well as more than 2.5 times the space of the current library. It will also feature additional rooms for small group work and meetings, as well as specific areas for children and youth, a digital creative studio, additional public computers and a local and family history space.
The Sydney Morning Herald story, which is available here, highlights one third of the population are members of their local library
“If attendance figures are any indication, the public library is our most valued cultural institution. In the year to July 2018, about 7.6 million people visited Australian libraries – more than went to museums (6.7 million), art galleries (6.3 million), plays (3.9 million) or musicals and opera (3.5 million). But it was the return rate that really set libraries apart. Whereas at least half of those who visited museums or the theatre went only once in the year, three-quarters of library visitors went back at least three times, and one-third visited more than 10 times. Australians make about 114 million visits to public libraries annually.”
Jane Cadzow, The Sydney Morning Herald, September 28
ArchitectureAU features BVN’s schematic design
A leading Australian design website has featured the schematic design for the Cultural & Civic Space.
BVN created the schematic design for the Cultural & Civic Space, which was the focus of this article on ArchitectureAU this month.
“BVN’s proposal, dubbed “All Welcome,” calls for a four-storey complex partially divided by an open-air internal street
containing an amphitheatre to be made from timber,” the article reports.
“In 2017, three design teams – Designinc and Lacoste and Stevenson, FJMT, and Dominic Finlay Jones Architects – prepared concept designs for the project as part of a community feedback process. That feedback has informed the schematic design produced by BVN.”
To comment on the development application for the Cultural and Civic Space, including BVN’s schematic design, click here.
FIND THE FACTS
How big will the new gallery, library and museum be?
Within the schematic design the new Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery will have more than three times the space of the current gallery (619m2 compared with 198m2), and the new Coffs Harbour Regional Museum will have more than 2.5 times the space (340m2 compared with 131m2). The new library will be 2578m2 plus shared spaces of 592m2. The current size of the library is 986m2.
What parking will be available?
The 75 parking spaces in the basement parking lot of the Cultural and Civic Space will be for council operational vehicles. There will be parking for visitors to the Cultural and Civic Space both around the new building and in the multi-story car park behind the precinct. The multi-story parking has a mix of short term and all-day parking.
Why did the project estimate increase from $36 million to $76.5 million?
The 2016 figure of $36 million was an estimate based on the anticipated size of the Cultural and Civic Centre and was provided before formal design work was undertaken. The scope of the 2016 estimate included the Harry Bailey Memorial library, co-working space, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Council customer service, Council offices and Council chamber.
In the period between the development of the 2016 estimate and Council’s resolution to adopt a $76.5 million budget on 11 June 2018 the project evolved significantly:
- The size of areas already in the scope was increased, and the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum was included in the scope;
- Three concepts for community input were developed, with various adaptations to the scope;
- Construction material and labour costs increased via CPI and other drivers between 2016 and 2018;
- An escalation allowance from 2018 to 2021 dollars was included (i.e. the annual cost escalation between the time at which the updated estimate was made in 2018 and when the project construction will be paid for across 2020 and 2021);
- Five per cent design contingency and 10 per cent construction contingency as a safety margin to cater for unforeseen issues;
- Over the last year, schematic design has been undertaken and the cost estimate updated accordingly by professional, registered quantity surveyors. The cost estimate remains within the $76.5 million budget.