Kingston Council is set to proceed with the demolition of the former Don Tatnell Leisure Centre in Parkdale.
After serious structural issues were identified, the centre was closed in February 2020 on the orders of the Municipal Building Surveyor. Further expert inspections and reports undertaken since that time have confirmed the failure of the building, determining that it can't be retained, easily remediated or repurposed.
The aim is to return the site to open green space for the community, with design and necessary alterations to be made to the adjoining Mordialloc Community Hub (MCC) to ensure all current building and code compliance matters are addressed in the process.
Kingston Mayor Hadi Saab said while there will be many in the community sad to see the decommissioned centre finally go but the safety of our community and users was Council's number one priority.
"The experts have made it clear that the building can't be retained, and we are acting on that advice," Cr Saab said.
"We will continue to liaise with the MCC and the Tatnell family during the process.
"Excitingly - planning for our new, district level, Aquatic and Leisure Centre is progressing well, and we are looking forward to delivering this once in a generation facility for our community around the corner on Governor Road in Mordialloc."
The demolition of the former Don Tatnell building and associated remediation and activation of the site is set to commence in 2023.
Stay up to date with the new Aquatic and Leisure Centre project.