The countdown is on until Sebastopol's transformational community hub opens to the public.
The finishing touches are currently being applied to the community hub on Vickers Street, the culmination of a successful three-way partnership between the Federal Government, State Government and the City of Ballarat.
The building is expected to be handed over from contractors Nicholson Construction to the City of Ballarat in early November, an earlier completion date than was originally forecast.
While the physical structure is mostly complete, a series of internal commissioning works still need to be carried out before the building can open to the public.
The facility will be fully operational in January 2026 and ready for the start of the kindergarten year.
City of Ballarat Councillors endorsed the names 'Vickers Street Community Hub' and 'Vickers Street Kindergarten' for the facility at its ordinary meeting on Wednesday night.
The endorsement enables the City of Ballarat to submit a formal naming proposal to Geographic Names Victoria for registration and gazettal, the final step in the naming process.
This follows community consultation in August to ensure the name for the new facility complied with the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria, as set by Geographic Names Victoria, before being approved and registered.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the community hub was one of the most exciting projects being carried out by the City of Ballarat.
The community hub will serve as a new home for the Sebastopol Senior Citizens, while also providing a new kindergarten, maternal and child health services, and spaces for community groups.
"This community hub is going to be an absolute game-changer for Sebastopol and you can already feel the excitement as the finishing touches take place," Cr Hargreaves said.
"This hub is a testament to what can be achieved when we invest together to achieve something truly remarkable - a modern, welcoming space that brings people of all generations together under the one roof."
The collaborative project is supported by $4.5 million from the Federal Government's Investing in Our Communities program and the $4.5 million from the State Government's Building Blocks Capacity program.
Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King welcomed the progress of the new facility.
"This new hub is such great news for the community. It'll keep local seniors connected, provide spaces for community get togethers and mean there's a new kinder close to home for Sebas families," she said.
"It's been exciting to see the construction taking place and now the hub has a proposed name it's starting to feel even closer to opening!"
Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison said the location of the site would create a wonderful community precinct.
"Situated beside the Sebastopol Men's Shed and Ballarat Community Health, the Vickers Street Community Hub stands proudly in the heart of Sebastopol," she said.
Room bookings for the facilities are expected to be made available in January.
The City of Ballarat is planning existing stakeholder tours and further community open days before the official opening and will communicate once more details are confirmed. Sign up to the City of Ballarat's community hubs newsletter to receive further updates.
Enrolments at the 66-place kindergarten at the new Sebastopol facility are being taken for 2026 via the City of Ballarat kindergarten webpage. Kindergarten is free for everyone attending participating programs.
