A contractor will be appointed by the end of this year or early next year for the building of the new library in Portlaoise.
This update on the long-awaited library at the site of old Shaw’s on Lower Main Street came from the latest meeting of the Portlaoise municipal district.
Council director of services Kieran Kehoe said that tenders for the library would be issued in the next few months.
“The tender process will take a few months, so we expect to appoint a contractor either at the end of this year or early next year,” he said.
What will the library cost
Although €1.65 million was allocated to the new library project, the council cannot give details of what the tendering process will cost.
Cllr Willie Aird said he heard that the new library would cost €7 million, but said he doubted that this figure is correct.
Mr Kehoe said, “No, it is not in that ball park at all.”
However in June of last year, another council director predicted that the new library in Portlaoise would cost almost €5 million.
Senior engineer Donal Brennan gave the figure while adding that the council would go back to the relevant government department to ask for additional funding.
No further funding has been granted as of yet.
Last January, chief executive John Mulholland highlighted the need to build the new library as soon as possible. “The new library is a high priority and every quarter-year that it is pushed out, the costs will be more expensive,” he said.
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