The old Brunswick building that houses the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria can no longer meet the needs of the 80-year-old organisation. It wants to grow, draw younger people and be a hub that is worthy of the largest group of Greek-speaking Cypriots in Victoria.

After securing $500,000 dollars worth of government funds, the time is right for the ambitious $30-million project to go ahead. All that is needed is the green light of the members of the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria on Sunday. Though nothing is certain, it will be hard for them to say “no” to the plans by Cera Stripley architects featuring state-of-the-art facilities designed to cater to the needs of the community.

The plans include a 200-sq-metre hall for functions, a roof restaurant as well as other installations, such as a residential space to help fund the project.

For the Cypriot Community’s President Stelios Angelodimou, it’s all about creating a venue that the young Cypriot and Greek Australians at large can feel proud of.

“All communities are facing problems when it comes to recruiting younger members, and we are no exception,” he said. “We are trying to revive interest by creating this centre that will drive and achieve or goal of uniting our future generations.

“We will approach young professional academics and give them a hub. And there are many plans for the future, such as using the profits of events for scholarships. Our vision is to get the younger generations involved and create ambassadors for our community.”