Community Centre and Theatre plan approved
The Committee established to refurbish or replace the existing Woy Woy Community Centre in McMaster's Road has approved plans for the new Community Centre on the site.
Committee member Cr Lynne Bockholt said: ''The new Community Centre is a tremendous step forward for the Peninsula and will cater for all existing users, except basketball.
"Basketball will re-Iocate to the new aquatic and leisure centre, which is being designed for the wet and dry facility to be built at the Woy Woy Pool site.
Cr Bockholt said the new centre will provide more activities than the old.
"The very modem design of the new Community Centre means that there will be more space for everybody to enjoy the activities," she said.
"Unlike the existing centre, there will be no wasted space.
"The large auditorium can be used by a variety of cultural and community groups and will be much more user friendly than the old basketball court in the existing building."
She said there were separate areas for childcare, judo, the dance studio, School for Seniors and The Web, as well as various meeting rooms and administration areas and more storage space.
"The external view of the building is brilliant, with the curved roof bringing a new standard of public building to the Peninsula.
"This brings us in line with other areas which have modem up-to date facilities.
"The new centre will be built in the existing carpark, and the existing centre will be demolished when the new centre is complete.
"The Woy Woy Little Theatre has been designed by the same architect and will complement the Community Centre in its proposed location at the rear of the site," said Cr Bockholt.
The theatre will have seating space for over 100 people and will be available for community and school use, as well as being used by Woy Woy Little Theatre and other theatre groups.
"Plans will be lodged with Council in the next few days and I expect they will go on public exhibition at both Woy Woy and Umina libraries within the next few weeks.
''This will give everyone the opportunity to look at the plans and make comments on both the Theatre and the Community Centre" said Cr Bockholt.
The Committee expects Council to approve the plans within three months.
"After this the tender process will commence.
"We hope to start building by September and finish by mid 2001.
"This is the culmination of over two years work by the Committee whose job it was the decide whether to upgrade the old building or elect to build from scratch.
"Everyone on the Committee has put heart and soul into the process and I think we can all be very proud of what will happen on the site," said Cr Bockholt.
"It's a very exciting time to be living on the Peninsula.
"I am now going to tum my attention to the preliminary designs for the upgrade of Woy Woy pool and the establishment of the sports centre and the basketball courts which will go on this site.
"These will then be presented to the Council and community."
Lynne Bockholt, February 14