PATTERSON Lakes Library and Community Centre will be repainted and each of the 13,947 books individually cleaned before the centre reopens on Monday (3 April).
The major clean-up follows a fire last Tuesday night (21 March) which started in the ceiling of the community centre. Other areas, including the library, suffered smoke and water damage.
About 50 firefighters fought the blaze at the buildings in Thompson Rd.
Kingston mayor Cr David Eden said the major clean-up aimed to re-open community services as quickly as possible. Entry to the library will be through the Thompson Rd doorway at the front of the building.
“We’re certainly disappointed that vital community facilities at the Patterson Lakes Library and the Patterson Lakes Community Centre have been damaged by fire,” he said.
“Council will now work closely with the community centre to repair the damage and restore these services as soon as possible.”
More extensive works are required on the community centre, which could be out of action for several months.
“Some areas of the centre are more badly damaged than others, so right now we’re hoping to reopen the centre in stages,” Cr Eden said.
“But, unfortunately, it may be three to four months before the community centre is completely restored. In the meantime, we’re working hard to temporarily relocate the many groups and classes that use the centre each week.”
Cr Eden said alternative locations for many groups had already been found in the local area and that Frankston Council had offered its support.
Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 29 March 2017
