The curtain has been lifted on new plans to bring people back to the “sleeping giant” of Westburn Park with new leisure facilities.
Sport Aberdeen revealed their vision for Get Active at Westburn earlier this month.
And now senior councillors and other city movers and shakers have been invited for a first look at the multi-million-pound project as leisure chiefs make their case for funding.
In August, The Press and Journal first revealed the “game changing” plans for a gym, investment in the tennis courts and a cafe.
Already the council’s leisure charity Sport Aberdeen has sounded out Tennis Scotland, Sport Scotland and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) on potential support.
How much will major plans cost?
But, as local authority chiefs scramble to slash spending, the collection dish is headed their way.
Sport Aberdeen estimates their preferred option for Get Active at Westburn would cost £2.83 million.
That would include the food and drink offering inside a conservatory with room for around 4o customers, bringing Westburn in line with others elsewhere at Hazlehead and Duthie parks.
It would also include repairs and upgrades inside the Aberdeen Tennis Centre, the proposed canopy over the outdoor courts, as well as ensuring the future of the bowling green.
Inside the aging pavilion, known now as Get Active at Westburn, there would be a 36-station gym and fitness studio.
That would bring thousands of visitors to the park each year, it’s hoped, and allow the continuation of the lifestyle classes for older people and those in treatment for serious illnesses.
These plans come only a year after Sport Aberdeen opened two padel courts at Westburn last May, built with a loan from the LTA.
What is planned for Sport Aberdeen’s Westburn Park revamp?
Sport Aberdeen chairman Tony Dawson, reigning champion of a grass court tennis tournament which was never played at Westburn again after his 1972 win, gave councillors the hard sell on his vision.
“This building was built for the World Outdoor Bowls Championship in 1984 and for years has been lacking an overall purpose.
“Anyone looking looking will realise it’s in need of significant repairs, it is used but not fully.
“I’m afraid if nothing is done, it’s in danger of going the way of Westburn House… of having to close, and we don’t want that.”
Mr Dawson added: “We want to create a warm and welcoming reception space in here to make members and visitors feel at home, and we want to build in this very room a 36-station gym. That is possible!
“But the most important thing, I think, that will bring life to this park is our plans for a food and drink offering. Where we are, location is everything.”
From this:
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Sport Aberdeen rallying members at Westburn Park
Having “done their homework”, Sport Aberdeen bosses expect around 900 or 1,000 new members to join what would be the charity’s most central location.
Mr Dawson added: “Westburn has long been recognised by me as a sleeping giant.
“We have no doubts at all that this would be one of our top three sites for memberships.
He continued: “I have absolutely no doubt we can achieve it. The only problem with all these things is it costs money.
“We know the council has not got significant funds, but we are very much ‘go and get it done’ people.”
Plans to make use of Westburn Park outdoor tennis court for more than summer holidays
The chairman, who bested Cliff Richard on Westburn’s indoor courts at their opening in 1996, also lifted the lid on “considerable investment” needed to keep the tennis centre going.
Its future is at risk because the roof is leaking – but funding isn’t as easy to come by as for the outdoor courts.
With the help of the LTA, those were resurfaced and refurbished in 2018 at the cost of £250,000.
“They are very popular – when it doesna rain,” Mr Dawson joked.
“But unfortunately it does rain and we have plans to cover the four courts because, as with football, outdoor courts are not popular as they were.”
Council funding would be key to achieving all of the goals for Westburn Park’s full wishlist of gym, fitness studio, bowling pavilion and cafe.
Sport Aberdeen boss: We want enough members to fill out Pittodrie
The plans for wider refurbishment at Westburn are very much in line with Sport Aberdeen chief executive Keith Heslop vision for how to balance the books.
In his first sit-down interview since taking the job, he told The P&J buildings needed to offer a variety of uses to break even.
And Westburn is key to the charity’s membership drive, which it’s hoped will break 20,000 in the coming months – and would be able to fill out Pittodrie by March.
“By building multi-functional centres, we actually can make the operation financially stable,” he told his gathered guests.
“We have seen that with (the recently refitted) Northfield. To steal a phrase from Kevin Costner… If you build it, people will come.
“Given the economic conditions, there’s clearly no pot of gold.
“However somehow, we need to find a way to invest in sport and leisure in Aberdeen.
“Westburn Park has so much potential, which is not currently being optimised.
“And we think this will bring the whole park alive and the number of visitors will go through the roof.”
Will Aberdeen City Council back Sport Aberdeen’s Westburn Park plans?
Council co-leader Ian Yuill attended along with his SNP counterpart Christian Allard and Lord Provost David Cameron.
But there was little sign they, or the other councillors in attendance, were rushing for their chequebooks.
On the steps outside the pavilion, Lib Dem Mr Yuill told The P&J: “It is an exciting project.
“Sport Aberdeen is a great success, with a fantastic team and venues – and it’s going from strength to strength.
“I look forward to working with Sport Aberdeen and their enthusiastic staff in the future.”
Read more:
- Meet the leisure boss using oil and gas business background to keep Aberdeen’s gyms and pools afloat amid huge council cuts
- Bucksburn Swimming Pool reopening shambles scuppers multi-million-pound plan for new sports centre at Teca
- Westburn Park cafe and gym spending plan could be ‘game changer’ for Aberdeen
- Costs struggle revealed as ‘every football match played on a Sport Aberdeen pitch costs the city £250’
- Could your GP be moving into the local sports centre?
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