What’s next for the Dunluce Centre?

The centre at the Metropole has been operational for the past twenty years, however numbers visiting the tourist facility have dropped over recent years and back in February Coleraine Borough Council took the decision to close the entertainment facility at the end of the 2013 summer season.

At a meeting of Coleraine Borough Council this week, Independent councillor Christine Alexander questioned what was happening with the site, and if anything would be in place at the site for the start of next year’s tourist season.

Richard Baker, Council’s Corporate Director of Leisure and Development told the meeting that six expressions of interest had already been recieved, but that no time scales had been predicted.

In a statement Coleraine Borough Council confirmed that the Tourist Information Centre would be relocated to the Town Hall and that three staff, who had been facing redundancy have been redeployed within the Council.

This week, on our facebook page we asked users what they would like to see at the site. We had plenty of feedback, here’s just a sample of what facebook users thought:

Mark Sheppard: Community usage would be a good thing, forget the tourists, they get plenty. How many folk travel to Coleraine to use the gym?

Niall Quinn: A big entertainment complex. Multi room venue with quality restaurant, club, live venue. Portrush needs to bring back the nightlife it was once famed for.

Scott Moffatt: theme park - Alton towers style

Marino McGowan: Multi use community venue - gym, sports hall, community centre, mother and toddlers.....

Ann Wiggins: Get a good swimming complex like Lagan Valley in Lisburn, and cheap rates for locals

Michael Hassan: A proper aquarium/ marine conservation entre to rival the best of them.

Laura Jane Quinn Indoor skate/skate board park.