By JO-MARIE BROWN
A Taupo tourism icon that fell into disrepair will re-open tomorrow after a 14-month refurbishment.
The AC Baths - named after the Armed Constabulary who first opened the thermal pools in the 1880s - have had a $7.5 million makeover.
Equipment failures and leaking pools forced most of the
complex to close in 2001 amid a long-running community debate over the extent and cost of redevelopment plans.
But nine years after AC Baths manager Tony Roddan first asked the Taupo District Council to consider an upgrade, swimmers can enjoy new facilities.
The renovated complex includes new indoor and outdoor leisure pools, two hydroslides, a learn-to-swim pool, sauna, steam room, nine private thermal pools, an indoor 25m competition pool and the existing 25m outdoor pool.
Mr Roddan, who also heads Taupo Venues (district council facilities), said up to 700,000 people were expected to visit the new AC Baths annually, many of whom would recall swimming in the pools.
"You have people who come through and say when they were serving in the war they had the choice of going to Wellington for the weekend or the AC Baths."
Mr Roddan said pool temperatures of 35-36C and the ability to swim through channels connecting the indoor and outdoor pools meant the end of cold winter dashes to the changing rooms.
