Overview
- The pool reopened to the public on Friday, ending a 1,986‑day closure that began when the site shut in February 2021 for a planned upgrade.
- What began as a $58 million upgrade grew to a reported $122 million final bill, a rise that North Sydney Council says will be repaid through higher rates and increased commercial activity at the complex.
- The redeveloped site restores key 1936 art‑deco features while adding modern facilities including a heated 50m outdoor saltwater pool, a 25m indoor pool, a program pool, a 970‑seat grandstand, spa and sauna, gym, pilates studio, creche and café.
- Delays were driven by heritage constraints, legal disputes and scope changes that stretched the project to roughly five years and made it a test case for whether local councils should manage major infrastructure works.
- Council opened the pool with a free weekend, capacity limits and advice to limit stays to about an hour, and the reopening has prompted wider questions about project delivery and rising costs for ratepayers across NSW.