Client: Central Coast Council
State: NSW
AEC was engaged by Central Coast Council to develop a five-year Business Plan for the proposed new four-storey Gosford Regional Library (GRL), including operational model, budget, staffing and sources of revenue. In particular, the Business Plan was developed to articulate the operating model including:
Operating hours that met community needs for different spaces within the building.
Exploring possible solutions to integrate traditional library operations with other co-located functions within the building.
Exploring technology options that were capable of being integrated o best meet the needs of different users.
Estimating the expected growth in income from the Library and Innovation space operations.
Examining national and international contemporary and best practice library models' that could be incorporated into GRL operations.
The five-year budget for the GRL included:
The ongoing cost to Council to run a state-of-the-art Regional Library.
Projected income generate from meeting rooms. function spaces, recording studio, workspaces, and marker/creator spaces.
Proposed fees and charges for hired spaces.
Determining the level and skill mix of the staffing levels required for the GRL.
The major focus for the GRL was to provide the community with a customer-focused service with positive social and community benefits, and to explore the potential for additional sources of revenue. The Business Plan articulated:
Options to maximise the current and future needs of the community within the operations of the GRL.
Possible models for meeting spaces, ensuring the balance between community needs and capitalising on market opportunities.
Other feasible and appropriate options.
Source: AEC