EAGLEHAWK residents might love plans to revamp a popular leisure centre but they hate the thought of waiting a decade for new facilities.
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The public overwhelmingly approves of demolishing everything but the pool and croquet areas, council officers say after more than 1000 people had their say on early concept plans.
The council would replace tired old sections of Peter Krenz with a library, cafe, gym, change rooms and a host of multipurpose areas.
A quarter of people who expressed reservations said the main problem would be finishing the works by 2032.
"I think the whole project sounds fabulous, but I have a huge concern about the timeframe it will take," one member of the public said.
"Surely there are ways to speed things up!?"
Councillors will decide on Monday night whether to greenlight a detailed design phase.
They will do so in a climate of uncertainty fueled by funding challenges and the recent announcement Bendigo will co-host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Games organisers are racing to lock in facility upgrades across Bendigo but with so many potential priorities it is not yet clear what will float to the top of the to-do list.
Council officers say getting Peter Krenz ready for the Games is probably out of reach. They say they need a minimum three years for detailed designs and two years for construction.
They are also still unsure how the council would pay at least $27 million for stage one. That estimate is likely to rise as the council moves towards stronger energy ratings on new builds.
Some residents polled during community consultations feared expensive builds could have a domino effect on admissions once the new centre opens.
"It would be a shame to see the community locked out of any future opportunity due to financial constraints," one member of the public said.
That person said Eaglehawk had more pensioners and people on low incomes than some parts of Bendigo.
Many people surveyed also wanted better car parking.
"It is already near impossible to get a carpark on weekends with the [nearby] playground," one resident said.
Others wanted certainty for the croquet club, which may need to move to make way for a bigger aquatic centre under stage two plans.
Those building works are not expected any time soon. Peter Krenz's pools still have 15 or 20 years of life, the council says.
All of that said, the council appears to be onto a winner, going by many of the public comments.
"Library - amazing! Café - amazing! As long as the pools remain, this sounds perfect for Eaglehawk," a respondent said.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
