In the second week of August Council staff and tenants of the Helensville Service Centre were called to a meeting to be advised that the building was to be effectively closed from mid October until the end of January 2023.
This came as a complete shock to many of them as various bookings had been accepted for events during this period, generally the busiest period of the year.
Then, out of the blue, the RSA closed with nowhere to go; the Art Centre with no shows; the Library with no children’s holiday programme; the Lions with nowhere to hold their Book Fair. Those with bookings already made and confirmed were suddenly cancelled and people were just told to make other arrangements!
The scale of the repairs and renovations is so extensive that they must have been planned for many months, if not years. The work planned covers weathertightness, removal of asbestos, seismic strengthening, roof replacement and back door canopy. Replacement of roof ridge flashing and fixings, water damaged roof framing, new roof cladding and flashing, decayed wall timber and wall cladding and window hardware.
Replacement of stairwell fire door and signage and ramp to the carpark. Removal of existing external retaining wall and some fencing and installation of a new retaining wall with path and steps with fire escape route from the library.
The list goes on and on and is so extensive that one has to wonder whether it will be completed in the suggested time frame; it seems more likely that it will take much, much longer!
