North Manly Bowling Club: Derelict site to become world-class gymnastics centre
The future of a derelict bowling club on the northern beaches — an ugly blot on the landscape for four years — has been revealed.
Manly
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One of the northern beaches’ ugliest eyesores is set to disappear after the council struck a deal with a sports club to take over the site of the abandoned North Manly Bowling Club.
The Manly-Warringah Gymnastics Club (MWGC) has agreed to transform the derelict property into a state-of-the-art regional gymnastics and “multi-sport” facility.
As part of the public-private partnership with the council, the MWGC will lease the site on the edge of Nolan Reserve and pay to build a 3,000sqm indoor gymnastics and high-performance centre.
There had been ongoing speculation since the bowling club abruptly shut its doors in August 2018 about what the council had planned for the site.
The boarded-up clubhouse has been the target of vandal and graffiti attacks and fallen into disrepair. Manly Leagues Club, which operated the bowling club, closed it after management said it did not want to renew the lease due to uncertainty over a council proposal — which did not eventuate — to allow private sporting facility developers to control the area.
It has now been confirmed that after months of negotiations, the MWGC will lease the property for at least 30 years — subject to the partnership being ratified by the NSW Office of Local Government — and make it the club’s “permanent home”.
The club is currently renting a property in the Cromer industrial estate and paying a substantial commercial rent.
MWGC CEO Ian Hardy said the facility would cater to levels of gymnastics participation, from grassroots to national level competitors.
It would also be recognised by Gymnastics Australia and Gymnastics NSW as a “Centre of Excellence for High-Performance gymnastics and trampoline”.
Mr Hardy also confirmed to the Manly Daily that it would be designed to allow training for sports that included aerial movement such as snow sports, diving, skateboarding and acrobatics.
“This new facility will not only improve the quality of what we do but secure a permanent home for the community-owned and not for profit club for the next 30 years.
“The project will be self-funded by the club, whether that be through borrowing, government grants or community support. We will looking for people to come on board to deliver this facility to the community.
“The aim is to create a regional centre of excellence for gymnastics. The club employs 60-plus people, has more than 2000 members, has world-renowned coaches and has six or seven athletes who are training on national teams.
“I believe this is something the club deserves, the club has earned. This is a whole new world for sport in the region. It gives us the chance to raise the bar.”
Mr Hardy said the club had been trying for 16 years to establish a permanent home.
“We’ve made seven applications, had six knock-backs, now we finally have the news we need.”
Mayor Michael Regan said there was a high demand for sporting facilities across the northern beaches and the new facility would support growing local interest in gymnastics.
“The partnership will see the full redevelopment of the former North Manly Bowling Club site without cost to ratepayers.”
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