Heart without a name

Actor Candy Bowers and 'town crier' Colin Robinson at the civic centre opening. 117500_02 Picture: ROB CAREW

By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS

2014 THE YEAR THAT WAS

THE heart of Dandenong has changed forever. All it needs is a name.
The $65 million civic centre, library, public square, the big screen and grassy knoll has been enthusiastically received since its official unveiling in April.
Especially the library – nearly 20,000 a week make use of this cutting-edge hub of technology, gaming and print.
Greater Dandenong has trumpeted its deliverance of the project under budget, and the retail spaces have been steadily filling.
Not that there haven’t been some controversies.
Such as some internal fights over imported Chinese glass and Thai-made carpet tiles preferred over Australian-made products.
There was also outcry over the council’s desire to reconfigure the executive toilets for the third time in a year.
Lately, there were grumbles about a lack of parking – and by the temporary closure of the underground car park for a security audit.
There has also been a community campaign to save the former Stuart Street library for community space, rather than make way for extending Dandenong Market’s car park.
Now after all the talk, we await the crowning touch – the name.