Vancouver Aquatic Centre closed after chunk of entrance falls off (PHOTOS)

A section of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre’s front entrance overhang fell off sometime between overnight, and the building has been closed for an assessment.

Pieces of the brown exterior wall fell to the garden below, exposing the metal framework underneath. Park Board staff cordoned off the area with caution tape to prevent pedestrians from walking below the hazardous area.

Daily Hive Vancouver

Daily Hive Vancouver

“Thankfully no one was injured, but out of an abundance of caution, Parks and Recreation staff are closing the building for the remainder of the day while it undergoes an assessment,” the Park Board told Daily Hive in a statement. “We’ll know more following the assessment.”

Daily Hive Vancouver

The City of Vancouver initially kept the West End facility open and asked swimmers to enter through the side door. But on Wednesday afternoon, staff decided to close the building temporarily.

“The Vancouver Aquatics Centre’s front entrance is currently closed due to a piece of facia that fell near the door,” the Park Board said. “Let’s all be safe; please follow the signs and staff direction on site.”

Update: Out of an abundance of caution, we will be closing the Vancouver Aquatics Centre for the remainder of the day while staff continue to assess building. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. https://t.co/pBwyMFo0Of

— Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (@ParkBoard) March 16, 2022

Located just south of Sunset Beach, the Aquatic Centre contains a 50-metre pool, a diving tower, and a small fitness area. The building is 48 years old.

The City of Vancouver has plans to replace the Vancouver Aquatic Centre with a new major destination facility, featuring both large indoor pools and an outdoor pool that takes advantage of the south-facing waterfront location, such as a retractable roof.

This $94-million replacement is the Park Board’s single most expensive project in a $350 million plan to improve pools and beaches. The planning and design of the new facility will be integrated with the West End Waterfront Masterplan currently underway.

With files from Daily Hive’s Kenneth Chan