THE long-planned Rockdale Library is on the way to being built following Rockdale Council's recent approval of the tender of Kane Constructions for its design and build.
Built beside the heritage Town Hall and the administration building on the Princes Highway, the library is expected to complete Rockdale Town Centre's civic heart.
Rockdale mayor Shane O'Brien said the approval was a historic day for the community.
He praised council staff for their hard work and professionalism in steering the project from concept to fruition and singled out councillors James McDonald and Joe Awada for their dedication to the project as members of the council's library advisory committee.
"For the past five years the vision for the Rockdale City Library has enjoyed support from a very slim but determined majority of council," Cr O'Brien said.
"Their unwavering commitment has ensured council's promise can become a reality."
Construction of the new library is expected to cost about $16 million and will start towards the end of the year.
"The city library will provide a state-of-the-art research, study and information space for all our residents," Cr O'Brien said.
"When I was elected mayor I said I wanted to ensure the delivery of our major capital works projects."
Cr O'Brien said that when the new council offices were built 30 years ago, the Rockdale library was housed temporarily in the old Town Hall where it had been ever since.
He said the past 30 years had seen many changes in migration, housing density, education and technology, with Rockdale now having a growing migrant population, including many residents who didn't speak English at home.
"The benefits of the new library for the Rockdale local government area are enormous," Cr O'Brien said. "It'll be a vibrant civic hub, combining learning, literacy, arts and culture in the heart of the Rockdale community.
"The design of this building will also set a benchmark for the rest of the Rockdale CBD."
