Aberdeen’s iconic Beach Leisure Centre will be reduced to rubble by spring next year – while the future of its new replacement has been left in limbo.
Fresh documents have revealed the second phase of the multi-million-pound beach revamp – which includes building a pier and a new Dons stadium – could be put on hold.
Finance chiefs think any work on the future of the seafront should be shelved “until additional resources can be identified” to pay for it.
The whole scheme – which would also eventually feature a brand new replacement of the Beach Leisure Centre – is expected to cost a whopping £441 million.
How far along is the demolition?
The seaside building and its fondly remembered blue flumes have been fenced off for more than a year, with work to demolish it already under way.
There are no visible changes to the 30-year-old structure just yet, however, council papers say the project is on track.
Work was delayed by “complexities arising from the connectivity of buildings”, with efforts to make sure the adjoining Ice Arena is not impacted.
Earlier this year, city leaders revealed tearing down the complex will cost £500,000.
And it could all be gone by April 2025 – even if the new sports and leisure facility planned to replace it is kicked into the long grass.
But what about the proposed new sports and leisure centre?
City leaders will discuss the future of the beach transformation next week.
Council officers are recommending the local authority focus on the first phase of the project, and delay the rest until more funding is secured.
This means residents might have to wait even longer to see the proposed waterfront boardwalk stretching into the North Sea, and the potential new Dons stadium.
Preparations to turn the grassland adjacent to the Beach Ballroom into a futuristic playpark with an amphitheatre and an eye-catching gateway building are ongoing.
And as it stands, these are still to go forward.
However, the prospect of the rest of the projects will be decided next Wednesday, August 21.
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