Central Coast Council has tonight announced the Parkside Building on Donnison Street in Gosford as the preferred location for a Regional Library and Learning Centre.

Council considered a number of options and settled on the Parkside Building as the most appropriate location for the proposed state-of-the-art community and education space.

Group Leader of Connected Communities, Ms Julie Vaughan, said that this decision reaffirmed Council’s commitment to a Regional Library in the Gosford CBD.

“This is an important project for the Central Coast community and will be the focal point for library services across the region,” said Ms Vaughan.

“The Parkside Building presents a perfect location, right in the centre of the Gosford CBD.

“Staff will now begin designing detailed plans to redevelop the site into an engaging learning space that will effectively meet the needs of the community.

“We will also work with the current tenants of the Parkside Building to ensure they are completely informed of the progress of this development and their future options.”

Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said that Council would be working to ensure that the new Regional Library and Learning Centre and its services meet the needs of the community.

“We will be engaging with the community on the services they want from their Regional Library and how that can effectively complement our existing library services,” said Mr Reynolds.

“This is an exciting development for the Gosford CBD and illustrates the importance of Kibble Park as the heart of development in the area.

“We want to lead the way in revitalising Gosford and this project is a fantastic starting point.”

Council will also liaise with the Federal Government and the Member for Robertson, Mrs Lucy Wicks, to confirm the $7million funding for this project promised from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s Community Grants Programme.