Centenary Pool to be closed and handed over to Games authority within weeks

An almost 70-year-old heritage-listed pool in Brisbane’s inner-north is set to change hands in less than two months, in preparation for a redevelopment that will host Olympic swimming in 2032.

But as of Thursday afternoon, not all its businesses operating at the centre had been informed.

Centenary Pool Complex in Spring Hill, on the edge of Victoria Park, will be handed over to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority by Brisbane City Council on September 1. The pool will have its last day of operation on August 30.

Businesses must vacate to make way for redevelopment works around the park, including a National Aquatics Centre.

The government would not reveal exactly when works would start, and a site plan for the new complex was yet to be officially unveiled.

But construction at the site was expected to start as soon as possible, with initial earthworks expected this year.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie was pressed on the timeline and potential closure of the pool at a press conference on Thursday, and said he had not heard of any closure date.

He said negotiations for the finalisation of the site plans were under way. His office later confirmed plans had been sent back, causing a delay.

“We sent them back to basically sharpen their pencils a little bit more,” a spokesperson for Bleijie’s office said.

The plans for the stadium at nearby Victoria Park were revealed in January, and the site was handed over to GIICA five months later on June 1.

GIICA has now confirmed to this masthead that the site will change hands on September 1, and the pool will close on August 30.

Nick Kotsomitis’ orthodontist practice was informed of the impending handover in mid-June, but other practices were unaware of the handover on Thursday.

Kotsomitis’ practice in the precinct will permanently close from September 1, he told clients in a letter on June 16. He said the decision was not made by the practice, and they were vacating for precinct redevelopment.

“We were informed of this only very recently, and I want to be candid: this has come as a significant blow to us, both as a practice and personally, and we know it affects you and your family too,” he said.

“We invested considerably in refurbishing our Spring Hill practice not long ago, and this closure has come at significant cost to us as a practice. As a result, relocating to another inner-city site is not financially viable nor practical in such a short time frame.”

NK Orthodontist has a practice at Chermside, and clients will be treated at that location following the Spring Hill closure.

City Venue Management chief executive Jay Clarke also confirmed to this masthead on Thursday that the site would be handed over on September 1.

He said they needed to wait for confirmation from GIICA to speak with their tenants, but hoped to move them to other sites or assist them with finding new locations.

Dr Chris Homan vacated his office space at the precinct on May 1, and is now in Kelvin Grove. The only remaining tenant is The Health Collab, which had not heard of a timeline for vacating.

The pool would likely have a closing celebration on August 30.

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