THE eThekwini Municipality has shut down talks of the City relocating Windermere Library to the blue building at Mitchell Park Zoo following safety concerns raised during a feasibility assessment.

Talk of the possibility of moving the library to the building that once housed the Blue Zoo Café gained traction among residents and on social media where they sought answers following the closure of the Musgrave Library. Zahraa Shaik, who had approached eThekwini on their social media page, described the situation as shocking.

She said, “Windermere became Musgrave Library in Glenwood and even that has recently been shut down. I asked what was going on on their Facebook page and their suggestion was that I use Umbilo Library. I must travel with my three-year-old from Morningside all the way to Lord knows where in Umbilo just for him to borrow books, which he absolutely loves.”

Her concerns were shared by Chloe Malherbe who said, “Unfortunately I think the first of many steps in the wrong direction was the municipality’s short-sightedness in closing down Blue Zoo Cafe. Since then the whole park area has felt incredibly derelict and sad. I recall talks that the Windermere Library was going to move into that space – alas, now we’re without a public library and safe, functioning park.”

Also Read: Windermere library closes its doors 

Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the City was considering the former blue building at Mitchell Park Zoo as a potential site to accommodate the Windermere Library. She said a feasibility assessment undertaken by Architectural Services showed that the move was not possible.

“During the assessment period, severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, exposed several significant structural defects. These included persistent roof leaks and the building’s susceptibility to flooding. It was further identified that portions of the structure are at ground level, while other sections are below ground level, with the latter being particularly prone to water accumulation during periods of heavy rain.

“Following a detailed assessment, Architectural Services advised against repurposing the building as a library,” said Sisilana.

The assessment also concluded that extensive structural interventions would be required to bring the facility up to acceptable safety and operational standards, at a prohibitive cost.

Also Read: Sad farewell as Morningside cafe closes its doors 

“On this basis, the proposal to relocate the Windermere Library to the Mitchell Park building was abandoned. As a result, no formal decision has been taken to relocate the Windermere Library to this building. The Municipality has instead resolved to revert to leasing suitable premises for library services,” said Sisilana.

She added, “The municipality is pursuing a tender process to secure alternative library premises that are suitable, safe and cost-effective for public use.”

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here