Wollongong City Council is aiming to open the new Helensburgh Community Centre and Library by late 2028.

“The next step is to engage a company to assist in its design and construction,” a council spokesperson said.

That contract will be awarded later this year.

Last August, council announced the long-awaited new centre would be built across two blocks of land at 53-55 Walker Street, next to the current library. At the time, Neighbourhood Forum 1 convenor Warwick Erwin hailed the decision to locate it in the town centre as a “win for the community”. Since then, forum members have raised various issues, including “very limited” engagement, parking, access and hall size, with one forum member going so far as to submit a preliminary design of their own last month.

In response, a WCC spokesperson said: “Council has carried out several phases of community consultation regarding the new Centre since 2017, including the most recent phase in October last year… While formal engagement has now concluded, Council will continue to provide regular project updates and engage with the community … As this project will require development consent, community members will also be able to make submissions at the Development Application stage.”

In January, council reopened the refurbished Community Rooms in the old Community Centre at 26A Walker St, across the road from the new site.

The remainder of the old centre remains damp and mould-ridden. It’s closed, to be demolished.