Doors to close on leisure centre and £16m replacement to open

31 October 2018

THIS Saturday marks the end of an era when the Down Leisure Centre closes its doors to the public for the final time, ahead of the formal opening of its £16m replacement at the end of the month.

When the doors of the old centre close at 5pm, there will be no indoor leisure provision at Market Street until the the ultra-modern, multi-million pound replacement opens at 6.30am on Monday, November 26.

The stunning three-storey facility boasts a range of facilities which would rival any of those more commonly found in leisure complexes attached to five star hotels.

Facilities include an 85 station wellness gymnasium featuring the latest equipment, a 26 station spin studio, 25 metre six lane swimming pool, luxury vitality health suite including a sauna, steam room and vitality pool.

There are sports halls and multi-purpose space and a teaching pool with moveable floor. The fantastic health suite also comes with its own dedicated relaxation area.

While the formal opening of the new centre has been pencilled in for November 26, there will be a special launch weekend over the previous two days to provide the public with a sneak peak of the new 6,500 square metre, futuristic facility.

During the transition, Newry, Mourne and Down Council officials are asking the public to use the local authority’s nearby facilities at the Ballymote Health and Well-Being Centre in Downpatrick.

Council officials are delighted with the new centre, in particular, the new teaching pool which will allow the new centre to provide a lot more swimming classes and education training for teachers, allowing full access to the main pool for other swimmers.

Over recent years, there has been increasing pressure on swimming classes at the Down Leisure Centre which council officials are confident will soon ease.

Mains gas has been connected to the new multi-million pound building which also boasts a combined heat and power source, helping minimise its carbon footprint.

Photovoltaic cells which have been fitted on the roof of the building help heat the water in the pools and shower systems across a number of changing room areas.

In addition, air source heat pumps sucks in cold air from the outside and turns into warm air, while so-called ocalux glass allows natural light to stream into the building on the ground floor, while there are miles of pipework and electric cables within the plant room, the new leisure complex’s nerve centre.

Council director Michael Lipsett has described the new leisure complex as a “fantastic building” which people will appreciate and enjoy.

He said it will also be a pleasure for the local authority’s leisure staff to move to a modern building packed with modern equipment and facilities.

Mr Lispett said everyone associated with the new centre, from the designers to the builders and the councillors who supported it financially, deserved credit for the part they played.

With the formal opening of the new centre eagerly awaited, a programme of work to decommission the current leisure complex ahead of its demolition has been drawn up.

Once the building has been bulldozed and the rubble removed from the site, a major new car park will be constructed.

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