Bexley pool: proposal for re-development

Those of you who follow this blog regularly will know about my love affair with my local pool, Bexley Swimming Centre. You can catch up with previous blogs about Bexley by clicking that link.

There's been a community drive led by regular pool users to have the local Council attend to serious concerns about  the viability of the centre. The fact that it is one of Sydney's "best kept secrets" - an under-utilised facility in a beautiful almost bushland setting which is a year-round suntrap is not enough to ensure that it remains as a public amenity into the future.

The tenacity of the leaders of the campaign is most admirable. It has taken many rounds of lobbying, addressing Council meetings and attendance at reference group meetings to reach a situation where a concrete propsal to emerge.

What has been presented is magnificent, as the illustrations show.

Pictures are courtesy of architects TompkinsMDA. Look at the link to see their other aquatic centre designs.

The report says that at the moment there are 130 000 visits a year, each of which is "subsidised" at $3.02 (I have a little trouble with this concept - a public amenity is what people pay rates for....but I digress....). It is estimated that the re-developed facility would atttract 541 000 annual visits, at a subsidy of $0.79 per visit.

The design concept has: a new outdoor 50m pool with seating and shade and an indoor facility containing an 8 lane 25m pool, a learn to swim and warm water exercise pool, a children's play pool, a spa and sauna and 700sq m of dry fitness space with a gym and group exercise rooms. It would also have a creche, children's party room, kiosk and amenities.

A quantity surveyor has estimated the cost at $26.81 million.

Several recommendations which progress the concept will go to Council next Wednesday. Read the full report here. Below are drawings accompanying the report.

Current layout

Proposed overview

More detail of proposed indoor facility

Indoor and outdoor pools