Aquatic centre set to be dropped from Rhodes Recreation Centre

The community is facing a “scaled down” recreation centre that was promised as compensation for copping massive development in Rhodes west.

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The community is facing a “scaled down” recreation centre that was promised as compensation for copping massive development in Rhodes west.

The swimming pool, which was the most popular feature of the centre with 83 per cent support during public consultation, is on the chopping block after Canada Bay council went behind closed doors at its last meeting to discuss “financial challenges” posed by the centre’s “configuration”.

Rhodes Central, which is being developed by Billbergia.

A slick fly-through video promised a state of the art recreation centre including a gymnastics area, cafe, expansive community spaces and an aquatic centre featuring a 25m lap pool, therapy and play pools, a spa, sauna and steam room.

Developer Billbergia is delivering the centre under a $60 million voluntary planning agreement as part of Rhodes Central 3 at 34 Walker St, comprising 400 units in two towers standing 19 and 34 storeys.

Mayor Angelo Tsirekas said the centre’s location at the bottom of the high-rise development and the existence of columns is “going to limit open areas for a full recreation centre”.

The aquatic centre was the most popular part of the Rhodes Recreation Centre design.

“We did our due diligence and a business case study and it came back saying it’s not going to stack up financially into the future,” he said.

“The pool is a difficult one and it’s not going to be sustainable and it’s not going to give us the best outcome in that space. We do have two swimming pools in the area … so I think the pool has probably got to come out.

“We could try to squeeze in something that is not going to function as well and not be financially viable and it would be a drain on our ratepayers.”

The final design of the centre will be determined following an expression of interest process, set to begin in March, and “nothing is being ruled in or out at” at this stage.

The video showed a gymnastics area with a foam pit, trampoline, parallel bars and rings.

Cr Tsirekas said this would allow them to “test the market” to see if there is interest from third parties to help deliver “a different mix of community facilities” such as community meeting rooms, a health club and spaces for active play such as badminton.

“We’ve opened up to ideas and options of what we want delivered which is not a total recreation facility; we are scaling it down but we are still providing it,” he said.

“We’re making a tough call at the moment and we want to make sure we get a good outcome and that we don’t leave a legacy into the future of placing financial strain on our ratepayers.”

Billbergia development director Rick Graf said the building has been designed so all the original elements of the recreation centre could still be delivered.

The recreation centre will be built at the bottom of the two towers which underpin Rhodes Central 3.

“I don’t want to contradict the mayor and his interpretation but the design of the centre was developed with the council and the community and it was always sitting under two high rise buildings and were designed...to minimise the impact of the columns on the space,” Mr Graf said.

“(The council) is obviously going through a reassessment of what they’re looking for out of the project … but there’s certainly nothing wrong with the design that they’ve worked with us to develop.

“They’re entitled to change their minds and we’re happy to work with them on whatever outcome they’re looking for to best serve the community.”

Construction on the centre, which will still be built over 9100sq m, is set to start this year and finish by the middle of 2021.

Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas said columns will make it difficult to achieve the big open spaces featured in the video.

Whatever design is chosen, Billbergia will still need to provide facilities to benefit the community to the value of $60 million

Cr Tsirekas said money left over from the recreation centre project could be used to create additional active recreation spaces in Rhodes.