Lovers of Ballarat Library should be thrilled at the recent plans for it to undergo a major expansion in the latest permutation of council plans to reactivate the Civic Hall site. Those less endeared of the library should at least be happy that first steps have at last been taken towards doing something with the much maligned locale. However the gulf between a good idea and the successful and sustainable implementation should not be overlooked in the enthusiasm for action.
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Ballarat Library has been one of the great success stories of the city’s public assets that has transformed itself over the past decade from simple book archive to community hub. What this has ensured is while the Civic Hall has sunk deeper into controversy and dereliction over a decade the more subdued service on the other corner of the notorious CBD site has generated the results that matter; changing its use to suit a dynamic technological environment and getting the people through the doors. So the plan to give further space and resources to a proven performer is in principle a good start to a wider solution to the make a valuable block of real estate even more vital to Ballarat’s CBD. But it must be remembered that this is only part of the plan. Quite apart from the necessary due diligence and detailed planning still necessary if the considerable investment is to be found and wisely spent; the success of this project is still very dependent on activating the entire site and that will take partnerships and shared visions beyond the remit of the council alone.
The Council has wisely chosen to leave plans for a considerable part of the block unspecified in this latest attempt to formulate a future for the site. But this clearly indicates how much more work there still needs to be done to secure the mixed use for the activation of the entire site; whether it be government departments, commercial use or even the mooted possibility of residential options. The continued viability of the site depends on people; this is the underpinning principle of the revitalisation of any CBD but in particular for a large scale area in Ballarat that history has taught people, at least in part, to avoid. So whether it is work, play or learning, building a combined area that people want to make a destination must be a driving principle. Aesthetic and commercial success hinge on that. The library has set a great precedent but how the next steps are taken in this development will be instrumental for Ballarat’s future .