Councillor eyes park for future indoor pool and community centre near Old South

Basil Grover Park in south London (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

Council’s decision to decommission Thames Park Pool two years ago continues to ripple through communities in downtown and south London.

In July 2023, council also directed staff to undertake a feasibility study for the location of a potential new indoor pool on city-owned property within the same geographic catchment area.

On Monday, the results of that property search were considered by the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee.

A total of six parks met the criteria for building an indoor pool within downtown London or Old South, however, the city is focusing its investments on new facilities that offer a wider range of recreational opportunities.

Only one of the six short-listed parks is large enough to accommodate a new multi-use community centre with a pool and other amenities — Basil Grover Park at the southwest corner of Commissioners Road and Wharncliffe Road.

“Residents of Ward 11, specifically Old South, have been devastated to lose access to the Thames Pool and wait over four years for any kind of aquatic replacement amenity for the area,” wrote Coun. Skylar Franke in a motion to the CAPS Committee.

She adds that the park is large enough (12.9 acres) that existing recreational facilities could remain or be enhanced as part of a potential redevelopment.

The committee supported Franke’s resolution directing staff to formally assess Basil Grover Park as a candidate site in the next-generation Parks and Recreation Master Plan for its feasibility as the location of an indoor pool and community centre.

A five-year update to London’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan is currently underway, and expected to be completed in Spring 2026.

“I’ve already had feedback from some people that said, it’s still too far from Old South (and) there are traffic concerns with that busy intersection,” Franke admits. “So staff will just look at that location and see if it could be viable for multi-use facility. Unfortunately, we’re really limited because the city does not own a lot of land in the Old South area.”

Council will consider Franke’s motion next week.

In 2021, the East Lions Community Centre was completed for $54 million.

No price tag has been placed on the potential project in Basil Grover Park, but a staff report warns that the cost of similar facilities have recently skyrocketed in other cities, some in excess of $100 million.