Wollongong's chess players will be able to resume playing in Crown St Mall once revitalisation works are complete.
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A headline in yesterday's Mercury said that the chessboard had been "dumped" as moves to revitalise the mall went ahead.
But the council has moved to assure chess players and the wider community that the board will be back in a spot near its present location.
The board will be one of the first parts of the old mall to go, because the space will be used as a site office and equipment store. But a new chessboard is part of the plans for the renovated retail strip.
"The chessboard and seating in Church Street are being moved as part of the first phase of renovations," the council's director of infrastructure and works Peter Kofod said.
"This is because the board's current location is the place which is being used as a staging point and storage hub for the renovations.
"Council has been working closely with members of our community who use the chessboard and seating, as well as Crown Street Mall retailers and business owners, as we prepare for the first phase of the revitalisation work to commence.
"It's important to emphasise council values the contribution all members of our community make to our city's creative, vibrant city. We are, and will continue to, work with the community members who use the chess facilities and seating to find an alternative location for the period of construction that meets their needs."
The council is working with chess players on an interim site for the board, with sites in Globe Lane and MacCabe Park under consideration.