Revealed: Plans for $2.7m Albany Surf Life Saving Club redevelopment lodged with City of Albany

Plans for a $2.7 million redevelopment of the Albany Surf Life Saving Club clubhouse have been submitted to the City of Albany for approval. The designs, produced by H&H Architects, show significant extensions to the existing facility at Binalup/Middleton Beach as part of a “dramatic” facelift. Artist renderings included in the plans show the heavy use of timber cladding and curves which ASLSC project lead Rob Mason said took cues from the foreshore revamp as well as the nearby DevelopmentWA Duettes development. Mr Mason said one of the main elements of the ASLSC project was a new life saving hub centrally located on the eastern side of the building. “We’ve got a tower directly above that and a patrol room, which we’ve never had before, along with first aid facilities in that section,” he said. “We extend to the north towards the caravan park to provide additional storage for both nippers and seniors. “And also on that side will be a new canteen and a new community meeting space, which is more on the carpark side.” Extensions to the northern side of the building, towards the caravan park, will add an extra 121sqm under a proposed lease boundary extension, while just under 53sqm will be added on the south-west corner. Mr Mason said the northern extensions would help create “quite a deep undercover area” to help provide protection from the elements. The south-western extension would create more storage space for boats and jet skis. “The primary driver of the whole thing, which started about five years ago, was to separate the motorised rescue craft, fuel and surfboats — all the heavy and dangerous stuff — from the general activities particularly for the kids and their parents,” he said. “We’ve got quite a big separation of those two things now.” The project has been funded being through a $1.6 million State Government election commitment, a $704,000 Lotterywest Grant and $400,000 from the City of Albany. Mr Mason said the club had made a big effort to include elements that would benefit the broader community as well as the club. “There are a number of community groups who use our space already for meetings and stuff, but the only space we can offer them is that hugs space upstairs which can house 170 people,” he said. “The downstairs community space we expect to be able to offer to groups free of charge for meetings and also for events like fun runs, triathlons, walks and other things.” Previous extensions to the club were opened in 2013. Mr Mason said the ASLSC’s membership had doubled since then and grown particularly rapidly in the past five years. “The previous extensions were heavily constrained by budget, there was some big funding gaps and it had to be curtailed pretty extensively,” he said. “We are expecting this to now meet the long-term needs of the club.” The plans are available on the City of Albany website and open for public comment until Friday, October 14.