16 Dec 2021
Ceremony marks start of Blackwood Community Hub | Adelaide East Herald
Luke Harris
Work on the highly-anticipated Blackwood Community Hub has begun, with an official sod turning ceremony marking the beginning of construction at the Waite Street site.
Mitcham mayor Heather Holmes-Ross was joined by Liberal senator for South Australia Andrew McLachlan at the site of the $12 million project, which is due to be completed by mid-2023.
Senator McLachlan said the development would be a 'huge win' for the community, and will include a variety of community facilities.
"This project will ensure the Blackwood community has access to modern, state-of the-art facilities and dedicated spaces for education, socialisation and skills building, now and into the future," Andrew said. "The construction and ongoing operation of this $12 million facility will also provide a range of economic benefits to the City of Mitcham." Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross said the ceremony was an exciting day that had been 40 years in the making.
"This will be the catalyst for change and will lead to the creation of a new heart for Blackwood," Heather said.
"This marks an exciting period that will ultimately result in a facility that will spark economic activity and provide educational, recreational, cultural and social services and resources for the community." Plans to build the 1,900m2 two-storey hub were approved earlier this year and will include a public library and community facilities, with entry to the building incorporated into the popular Waite Street Reserve.
A community kitchen will be built within the hub, alongside a 'maker space', serving as a destination where users of the centre can create projects in a dedicated workshop.
The $12 million budget for developing the hub is supported by $5 million in funding from the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, as well as $3.5 million from a State Government Local Government Infrastructure Grant.
Initial works on the site will begin at the north-west car park on Edward Street, with a walkway also planned between the reserve and Young Street adjacent to Drakes Supermarket to improve streetscaping, parking and foot traffic.