The Minister said: “The new library will be a flagship in the local community, open four nights a week and all day Saturday. It will provide a café, reading garden, improved computer facilities, a community meeting room, learning centre and adult and children’s library areas.
“Modern, fit-for-purpose libraries are extremely popular and I know from my experience in Lisburn that when towns are provided with a state of the art facilities library use increases greatly.”
Minister Poots continued: “Detailed design and preparation work has been going on and the North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) is currently selecting a contractor to build the new library. Work should start on the Railway Street site this summer and the new library will open in early 2010.”
Notes to Editors:
DCAL approved the case for a new Library in Antrim in April 2006 and since then the NEELB has been taking forward detailed design and preparation work.
The NEELB is now undertaking a tendering process to select a contractor to construct the new library. The Build is forecast to take 16 months and commence on site in August 2008.
The new Library will be over 1,600m2
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