Construction of Parramatta’s new $88.6 million state-of the-art aquatic and leisure centre has passed the halfway mark.
Named Parramatta Aquatic Centre at Monday night’s City of Parramatta Council meeting, the centre is rapidly taking shape, with indoor and outdoor pool sites excavated and over 9,000 cubic metres of concrete poured.
“The countdown is on until we open the doors of our fantastic new centre to the community,” said Parramatta Lord Mayor, Donna Davis.
“We know the people of Parramatta are eagerly-awaiting the opening, so we have around a hundred workers on site daily, working hard to deliver our new aquatic centre.
“This multifunctional centre will be a place where our community can exercise, learn to swim or simply have fun with family and friends all year around. I look forward to seeing it be enjoyed by our community for many years to come.”
Once complete, the centre will include a 10-lane, 50m outdoor pool; 25m indoor pool; indoor learn-to-swim pool; indoor water playground; spa, steam and sauna facilities; café; fitness centre; multipurpose community rooms; and parking spaces.
“We’ve worked hard with Parramatta Council to help deliver what is a great win for the community, they deserve a world class pool in this world class park,” said Minister for Sport, Stuart Ayres.
Member for Parramatta, Dr Geoff Lee said the new aquatic centre will be the envy of communities all over the State.
“It will be a complex with versatility designed to meet the needs of Parramatta now and in the future for decades to come,” Dr Lee said.
Designed by Grimshaw Architects, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall, and built by construction company Lipman, the new aquatic centre’s roof will feature solar panels, generating around 273 Megawatts per hour in energy savings annually.
At Monday’s Council meeting, the facility’s name, Parramatta Aquatic Centre, was endorsed by Councillors. The Council also endorsed naming the 50m outdoor pool as the Memorial Pool in recognition of the former Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre.
The Parramatta community has now been invited to vote for the names of the centre’s program rooms and outdoor areas. The suggested names feature Dharug language with many inspired by nature, such as Barra Ngurang (Eel Room). The next round of consultation runs from 13-27 July.
The project is being co-funded by Council and the NSW Government, which is investing $38.5 million from the Restart NSW Fund. It is anticipated the facility will open in 2023.
