Barring any last-minute disapproval by elected councillors, work is expected to start this December on the conversion of a unit formerly meant for retail into a library.
The Paisley Central Library is set to be replaced as efforts are on top gear to upgrade the museum. Its closure commenced last autumn and expectations are high as regards the project.
Authorities have cited the need to revamp the museum as the reason for separating the library from it. Before now, both the library and museum shared the same building.
If everything goes as planned and estimated, the library is expected to wear a new look with sophisticated cultural and learning gadgets when it is finally completed at the High Street of Paisley.
However, before the expected date of completion of the library, which is in 2021, a temporary provision has been made at the Lagoon Leisure Centre to serve as the temporary library for intending users.
The retail unit in Paisley has been scheduled for massive refurbishing and will not be demolished, as some have opined.
A report had disclosed that the project would help transform and engage historically significant and centre buildings in the town. As it is, when the project is completed, regeneration activities in the town centre would come back to life.
Elected members of the Finance, Resources, and Customer Service Board, at their meeting this Wednesday, are set to approve a whopping sum of 4.5 million pounds for this project.
An Edubirdie review reveals that a Hub West Scotland contractor is favoured to be the main contractor of this project, while CCG will only act as a sub-contractor. Hub West Scotland possibly enjoins the support of the government due to its frugal dealings.
Most of the library’s facilities previously located at South Car Park will now be moved to the Modular Building where it would be kept for now pending the completion of the main library building.
MacClaren, an elected councillor, noted that many of the spaces that before now used to be available at Lagoon Car Park for parking cars will now be used up and unavailable. But to compensate for that, the elected councillor said that Bridge Car Park had been made available.
The Personal Computers of the library will also be kept there and made available for public use. While arrangements for the temporary library is still ongoing, users can equally access sensitive public PCs at the popular 5a High Street.
Kenny thus expressed his excitement that the planning board turned down the council’s initial plan to bring down the 22 High Street building. Now, that is where the Paisley Learning Cultural Hub is to be built.
He contended that it would amount to mockery to claim that they are preserving Paisley heritage only to wipe out a historic building situated right in the heart of the High Street.
With the planned refurbishment now, Kenny is optimistic that town centres that are historical but have not been utilized will now come back to life in full force. Rather than an outright demolition, the councillor confirmed that he and his colleagues had seen wisdom in refurbishing them and using them.
The library’s famous Bookbug session has been arranged to transfer to the Lagoon building’s main room pending final arrangements for the temporary library next year.
This latest relocation and resettlement effort is a fraction of the infrastructural and venues investment that the Renfrewshire Council had budgeted 100 million pounds to carry out in the next couple of years. The council’s motive is to exploit the unique cultural assets and heritage of the town to better its future.
Confirming this long-term investment, Lisa-Marie Hughes, the chair of the Renfrewshire council says that in the next couple of years, the hundred million pounds investment which they plan to make in different venues in Paisley will help secure many heritage building for a long time and help change them to latest the community facilities.
In the opinion of the chair, the cultural hub is planned to be digitally connected for residents regardless of their age and social status by the time it is completed in the year 2021. Although the temporary library based at the Lagoon will be a smaller one, it will be set out so that the most popular items and services can be easily accessed, the chair had said.
From the time of its commencement, the project is estimated to take 64 weeks before reaching completion. The start date would be December 2.
One report once reveals that the new library project is anticipated to bring back to life many important town centres that have been long vacant. It equally states that Paisley will hugely benefit from it as its town centre is bound to return to life after the library has been completed.
For its funding, the library will be relying on the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant to pull through.
Its completion will be a public-private partnership deal where Hub West Scotland takes the lead. This contractor, led by the Scottish Futures Trust, is here to help it to maximise funds in such a manner that the public will be best served.
One of the main reasons the council is investing this much in this project is that it believes the town can be UK’s major culture haven where tourists and investors will flock in their thousands to visit. They hope to actualise this dream vigorously through the expansion of several activity centres in the town in a couple of years to come.
Another massive project in this direction includes the transformation of the Paisley Town Hall interior to the tune of 22 million pounds. Authorities plan to make the town hall a go-to centre for different kinds of entertainment in the whole of West Scotland. They also plan to revamp the Paisley Arts Centre while also investing in transport links and outdoor spaces throughout the town.