After many years of depressing headlines there is finally some good news for the Germiston Carnegie Library. The following fascinating piece has been compiled by Nicholas Clarke, the heritage consultant on the project.
Many a distressed post dating over the past two years can be found regarding the disastrous state of preservation of the old Carnegie Library in Germiston as well as the lack of care for the Commonwealth Memorial (also known as the Cenotaph) to the Great War (World War I) on Market Square. Both stand, seemingly abandoned, awaiting new use. The site was fenced of by Ekurhuleni Metro to ensure that the site not be further vandalised.
The abandoned Carnegie Library (Nicholas Clarke)
The good news is that plans are afoot to restore the Cenotaph and transform the ruins of the Carnegie Library into a new Civic Theatre. Plans have been in the pipeline for some years and many people in Germiston are aware of indications that the project would have been completed by June 2012. As with most things in life complications emerged during the process, not only in terms of the administration of the project, but also in terms of physical restraints such as soil conditions.
Site works are planned to start! The stabilisation of the extant walls the first priority. To...
