QEII ‘open by Queen’s Birthday’
Christchurch’s new multimilliondollar QEII Recreation and Sport Centre is just a few months from completion – and a city councillor believes a 50-metre pool will eventually be added to the facility.
Construction at the North New Brighton site, which will also be home to Avonside Girls’ and Shirley Boys’ high schools, started in January. The
$38.6 million project is on track to be completed by mid-year.
The centre’s main pool will have 10 25m lanes. However, Christchurch City councillor David East says a 50m pool, which was needed to host national swimming meets, could eventually be included.
‘‘There’s been huge interest in the new development and, despite the fact that one or two [people] are saying it could be a bit too small, it will be the biggest community swimming facility in the city by far,’’ East said.
‘‘When we built this facility we always said it had to be built in a manner that if we wanted to add a 50m pool, it could be done, so that still stands and if the climate changed and there was an appetite for a 50m pool, it can easily be built there.
‘‘There is some sort of discussion about the viability of anchor projects in the city centre and whether or not components of the metro sports [facility] could be split up and added – the hard courts could go with the new [multi-use] arena and you’re just building a pool complex.
‘‘I’ve actually floated the idea if you really want to save some money you could actually build the 50m pool back at QEII.’’
Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods brought a halt to the planned $300m central-city metro sports facility last year. A $75m budget blowout saw the Government axe a deal with contractor Leighs Cockram Joint Venture.
The Department of the Prime Minister of Cabinet, along with the council, has been asked to work on an ‘‘urgent review’’ of options for the sports facility, including whether it would be beneficial to combine all or part of the facility with the city’s proposed new stadium, officially labelled the multi-use arena.
East said he was concerned by delays and pricing issues with the project and the fact it could be combined in part with the planned multi-use stadium in the central city.
‘‘At the moment our top-line swimmers have to go to Dunedin or elsewhere to get that sort of facility for training,’’ East said.
‘‘From my point of view, it really sort of boils down to the economics of the metro sports proposal and whether in fact in the long run it does prove to be a viable proposition. So I’ve always sort of hung out the carrot that if costs are going to escalate I know that we could build a 50m pool for probably around $50m-odd.
‘‘We’ve set aside $147m as the city’s contribution to metro sports.’’
East understood QEII was due to open between the end of May and Queen’s Birthday weekend at the latest.
Council head of recreation, sports and events John Filsell said an exact opening date was yet to be announced. A 50m pool had never been part of the project, he added.
Filsell said good progress had been made with QEII’s internal aluminium joinery and glazing to the new hydroslide tower.
‘‘In the pool hall, the concrete concourse slabs are being laid and the moveable floor construction is progressing ahead of schedule,’’ Filsell said.
‘‘The installation of the liner to the main pool has been completed and work is under way on the liner to the learn-to-swim pool.’’
Installation of a stainless steel leisure pool, including a lazy river, was also ‘‘progressing well’’.
‘‘Services and ceiling panels are being installed over the leisure pool, which will allow the last of the scaffolding to be removed from this area in a couple of weeks,’’ he said.
‘‘There’s been huge interest in the new development and, despite the fact that one or two [people] are saying it could be a bit too small, it will be the biggest community swimming facility in the city by far.’’
Christchurch City councillor David East