City set to build state of the art library in Abbey Quarter
By COLIN BARTLEY
KILKENNY City is to get a state of the art library which could be ready in 18 months.
Members of Kilkenny County Council gave the project the thumbs up at its monthly council meeting yesterday.
The new library is part of the proposed redevelopment of the Mayfair Ballroom in the Abbey Creative Quarter, in Irishtown.
Kilkenny council has for several years been seeking to provide a modern purpose-built city library for the people of Kilkenny.
The library project will now move forward to the design and procurement stage before the end of the year, with the new facility opening for business in early 2021.
Welcoming the decision, Cathaoirleach, Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere noted the importance of the Mayfair building to people all over Kilkenny: “Having a public and civic use in this building will provide a valuable cultural space for the Abbey Quarter and allow people to reconnect with the building, which holds many important memories for so many.”