A community hub with library in the heart of Pookeno is a step closer with the development of three options and the identification of a preferred option for the Pookeno community hub with library.
Option 1, which would retain the Pookeno Hall, address the site constraints of 10 Market Street and provide space for activation and events close to Great South Road, has emerged as the preferred option following a series of co-design workshops with the community.
At the second co-design workshop in April, we shared three draft options for the community hub with library, and then we asked everyone to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of those options.
We then tested if there was a consensus on a preferred option using the Options Assessment we had developed. The discussion that followed confirmed that there was majority support for Option 1.
Council approved $6.5m for the development of the library and community hub as part of the 2021– 2031 Long Term Plan process.
The Waikato District Blueprint 2019 also identified the need for a new library, community and customer services and facilities, among the priority initiatives for Pookeno.
“At the first workshop, participants said that they wanted the identity of Pookeno reflected in a modern, flexible, vibrant, people focussed community hub in the heart of town that connects and brings people together,” says Mayor Jacqui Church.
She says it is important that the space is accessible space and caters to the needs of the community, contributes to a healthy and connected community, and is a space where everyone feels welcome and safe.
“We also need to consider future proofing options for growth and the changing needs and diversity of the Pookeno community,” she says.
More information about the options and the preferred option are on our project page.
There’s still time to tell us what you think of Option 1 by completing our survey, which will be available until 5 June.
