The drama surrounding Dundee’s biggest leisure centre continues to gather huge public attention.
The Olympia reopened in December after £6 million worth of repairs and a controversial closure lasting more than two years.
But that has not helped to keep the public glare off the £32 million centre, as a series of further problems have emerged in the months since – raising more questions about the long-term viability of the facility.
The Courier takes a look at the key developments since the centre underwent its overhaul.
Early October 2023: Olympia handed back to council
The Olympia was handed back to Dundee City Council, which owns the building, after the completion of more than £6m worth of repairs by contractor Robertson Construction Tayside.
November 1 2023: Officials share ‘urgent’ concerns weeks after repairs completed
Officials at Leisure and Culture Dundee raised “urgent” concerns about the condition of the Olympia.
The nature of these concerns has never been revealed, but minutes from a board meeting revealed officials had a “list of items urgently requiring attention” before they would consider reopening to the public.
Leisure and Culture Dundee says this list of issues was addressed “satisfactorily prior to reopening”.
November 15 2023: Details of Olympia roof leak emerge
As locals waited for information on a reopening date, it emerged that there had been a leak in the building’s glazed atrium.
No further details of what caused the roof leak, or when the damage happened, were revealed.
December 11 2023: Olympia reopens to swimming clubs and test sessions held
Swimming clubs were allowed back into the centre on December 11.
A series of test sessions were also held in the leisure and toddler pools ahead of the public reopening.
December 18 2023: Olympia reopens to public
The centre reopened to the wider public with a booking system in place.
During the early days of public access, things seem to be running well at the facility.
Late December 2023: Only men’s toilet cubicle out of action
From at least late December onwards, the only cubicle in the men’s toilet was out of action.
The reason for the cubicle being closed was not confirmed.
It was eventually repaired and reopened in early March – nearly two months after the public reopening.
December 29 2023: River rapids closed
The river rapids area at Olympia was closed just 11 days after the public had been welcomed back to the centre.
The closure lasted for 17 days with the area reopening on the evening of January 15.
Again, no exact cause for this was revealed but the council put it down to “snagging” works in the wake of the repairs.
February 1 2024: Red flume closed to public
The red flume, one of three slides in the centre, was closed on the afternoon of February 1.
February 3 2024: Meta rod falls from flumes area and nearly hits swimmers
No one was injured, but this led to all the flumes being closed by Olympia bosses.
It was later confirmed that there was an issue with the water supply pipework and rods serving the red flume.
February 5 2024: Leisure and toddler pools closed to public
As a result of the issues discovered with the flumes, both the leisure and toddler pools were closed to the public.
Bosses later confirmed these issues were not related to the £6m of repair work.
February 20 2024: Rust detected in pools
It emerged that further rust had been discovered in the Olympia.
The corrosion, at the foot of the diving pool stairs, was described as minor but repair work could prove disruptive.
For that reason, it was said work on this would be carried out during future annual maintenance.
February 26 2024: Documents reveal how centre became £32m white elephant
The Courier pored over hundreds of documents that shone a light on the issues at the Olympia since its opening in 2013.
We found:
- Insulating the Olympia’s roof during construction could have stopped objects falling from the ceiling
- A major leak that put staff safety at risk was due to the showers not being built right
- A £65,000 repair bill was down to builders using the wrong glue
- Leaders suggested fending off condensation problems with baby oil
- A toddlers’ pool caused an argument between council and leisure bosses
March 1 2024: Council leader makes U-turn on calls for independent Olympia probe
After growing angry at the latest issues in the centre, and a lack of detail on when the pools might reopen, council leader John Alexander U-turned on his stance on an independent probe into the Olympia’s failings.
Having previously rejected such calls, Mr Alexander said: “We are clear that recent events mean there’s a lack of confidence in the reassurances that we’ve previously received from professionals and the external expertise brought in, and in relation to the systems installed.
“Taxpayers are entitled to unequivocal reassurance that works have and will address all issues, for the long term and that once reopened, Olympia will not see another unplanned closure.”
What happens next?
Despite repeated questions from both The Courier and elected councillors, Dundee City Council has refused to confirm a timescale for the pools reopening.
The cost for the repairs that are needed has also not been confirmed.
Details of the independent investigation have also yet to be set out but The Courier has taken a look at what might be involved.
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