Days after South Wairarapa District Council advertised Greytown’s Old Library building for lease, the community board has asked that the process be halted.
At Tuesday’s Greytown Community Board Meeting, members requested the lease process for the Old Library at Stella Bull Park be paused, expressing a desire to return the building to its former use.
The building – recently vacated by retail outfit Design Library – was originally built as a Masonic hall on West St in 1891.
According to Greytown Heritage Trust, it was moved to its current site on Main St in 1979, where it served as Greytown’s library from 1980 to 2007.
The library was subsequently shifted to the town hall, and since then the Old Library’s lease has been held by Wairarapa Wine Centre – with a proposal at one point that it become a restaurant – before it was taken over by Design Library.
At this week’s meeting, board members voiced a desire to reconvert the building to a library.
A South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] spokesperson confirmed yesterday that the council has received a request to halt the lease process and that no decision has been made.
SWDC would not divulge any details of offers received to lease the building, citing “commercial sensitivities”.
The council said it recognises that the board is advocating for the community and is currently pulling together its Community Plan and annual plan submissions.
“The board’s submissions will be considered through the hearings and deliberations processes on 8 and 9 June.”
