Given a choice between a brand new pool or a staged upgrade of the Wanganui East one, the Wanganui District Council is leaning toward the latter.
The pool has been the centre of debate for many years now but especially over the past couple of summers.
First there was an issue with high volumes of water leaking from the pool and then a groundswell of community concern that the council might close the pool permanently.
Council has decided to have the various options included in its 10-Year Plan consultation process, giving the community more opportunity to provide feedback before making a final decision and committing any funds.
This comes after a confidential council workshop last month when officers presented councillors with three scenarios - refurbish the pool, redevelop the pool or a build a new outdoor pool next to the Splash Centre in Springvale.
The draft 10-Year Plan had a $2 million allowance scheduled in 2018 to redevelop the complex. But councillors decided that the cost of a complete redevelopment or a brand new pool next to the Splash Centre far outweighed a staggered refurbishment of the Eastside pool, so have opted to that gradual upgrade.
This upgrade at Wanganui East has been estimated at $900,000 with work to be done over a number of years or as and when existing infrastructure needs replacing.
Any such upgrade would include new waterproof membranes for the pools, new tiling, reinforcing and renewing the main pool floor, replacing decking, repainting the pools and complex, renewing concrete around the pools and installing a new filtration plant.
The 10-Year Plan is scheduled to go out for a consultation period from March 16 to April 22 and is expected to be adopted later in June.