The Australian National University plans to build a swimming pool on campus as part of its new recreation building at Union Court.
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The university unveiled plans for the $14 million multipurpose recreation building that will include a 25-metre six-lane indoor pool. However, the university is in talks with the ACT government about possibly building a 50-metre Olympic pool instead of a 25-metre pool.
ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt announced the plans on Monday on the campus' Fellow Oval with him and several staff slinging beach towels, bodyboards and floaties in anticipation.
"ANU will be building a pool as part of our union court development, something more than seventy years in the making," Professor Schmidt said as the small crowd behind him cheered.
Professor Schmidt said he was not yet confident the pool would be 50-metres but said Chief Minister Andrew Barr was considering the expansion.
"There are some complications at mixing a sort of public, private facility like this but I would say there's a great deal of good will on both sides," he said.
The pool, scheduled to open in February 2019, will be part of a new sport and recreation facility with a 15-metre-by-eight-metre hydro pool and a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week gym that will help meet community demand for additional facilities.
"We now have more than 4000 staff, 22,000 students who come here each and every day," Professor Schmidt said.
The new pool and gym facility, owned and operated by the Club Group, would hopefully draw in Canberrans from outside of ANU.
The pool is just one part of a $200 million redevelopment project planned for Union Court, which would include more green spaces, upgraded student and teaching facilities, ampitheatres, bars, a cinema and about 400 new underground parking spaces.
Union Court has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s with most buildings mainly built with concrete.
Part of the new plans included turning the lane behind Building 17 into a Melbourne-style alley, complete with cafes and bars.
ANU started to consider redeveloping the area in 2014, when the 'Reimagine Union Court and University Avenue' project invited students to share their ideas for an upgraded Union Court.
The university hoped all the facilities, not just the pool, would open by early 2019.
"It'll be something that we can share with the larger community, of course, and the 26,000 people who come and make ANU home every day," Professor Schmidt said.
