The Glen Waverley Library was built in 1976 and has had one major refurbishment since then in 1999. It is now due for redevelopment or replacement.

A condition assessment completed in 2018 confirmed that the facility is in good condition, although with wear and tear, damage, and non-conformances across various mandatory current Australian Standards.

A substantial amount of work has been completed for the Glen Waverley Civic Precinct Project which goes back to 2013 with preparation of the GWAC Masterplan.

Drivers for this project include:

• the library building is near the end of its life and is no longer fit for purpose
• Council leases office space in the Ibis building
• the municipality does not have a town hall for gatherings and events
• the existing public realm does not contribute well to wayfinding in the precinct and promoting a civic presence.

The Glen Waverley Library is the busiest branch of the Monash Public Library Service. It has a very high usage rate and is frequented by people from across the municipality, especially by students and people working, shopping and otherwise utilising the busy Glen Waverley retail precinct.

The existing Glen Waverley library is:

• an energy inefficient building
• operating at capacity
• experiences competing demands for private and small group study areas, quiet reading areas, internet access, traditional collection storage, access and circulation processes
• inadequate to meet the growing IT and leisure and community activity needs of the Glen Waverley community.
• an expanded library space will be aligned to the needs of a contemporary library service which will support increased population in Glen Waverley including community meeting facilities, cafe, youth and exhibition spaces

• 2013 Glen Waverley Activity Centre Masterplan including traffic engineering assessment (based on development of Central Car Park site)
• 2015 – 2018 – Central Car Park EOI including community consultation
• 2017 – Condition data assessment for library
• 2018-2020 – Internal design work – Integrated Site Plan and options analysis and concept plan
• 2018-2020 – Internal – qualitative needs analysis and design investigations
• 2018 – Heritage study
• 2020 – Feasibility study by ARM Architects
• 2022 – Schematic design Report by ARM Architects
• 2022 – QS Cost plan by Turner & Townsend

Council has since 2020/21 resolved to fund as part of its budget the various stages of work required to progress the proposed project.

The most recent stage of schematic design was completed by ARM Architecture in December 2022. This has been presented to Council who resolved to progress community consultation on the design and funding model.