Blackrock Welcomes Good News At Last
Issued : Saturday 30 January, 2010
Finally the Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe, has announced the go ahead for the Blackrock capital building project. The Department of Education and Science has moved the Blackrock Town Hall and Library project to the top of its capital spending list. On Friday 30th January it went to tender!
For too long the residents of Blackrock, particularly the members of the Blackrock library, waited for the go word. Over the years we had watched the Town Hall fall into disrepair. The Council closed the doors to members of the public. The library entrance was shrouded in scaffolding, its members obliged to sneak under to find the door. The VEC senior college had long been transferred to Dún Laoghaire. With the Council’s approval, the VEC established a building project team and applied to the Department for investment in a refurbishment project for the entire civic building. Last summer when the Department indicated that the refurbishment was on their funding list, the library relocated around the corner into a very limited space. Since then week after week the VEC has been forced to attend meetings at the building unit, update applications forms and wait for the word “go”
Now the jewel in the crown of Blackrock public buildings is to be restored. The Council and the Department are both playing their part; the Council leasing the public meeting rooms to the Department, the Department refurbishing the VEC school, the library and the meeting rooms. “Thanks to all who helped in this long drawn out campaign.”
Cllr 
