An artist’s impression of how the new facility will look
After months of negotiations, Dundalk IT have been given the green light to proceed with the purchase of the former JJB Soccerdome and Ice Dome at Dundalk Retail Park.
The purchase has been in the pipeline for some time, with students even voting on the matter as far back as last December. They will now face an additional levy of €125 a year as a result of the purchase.
The finance committee of the college met yesterday to conclude the deal.
It is understood that the centre will be privately operated and a public tender will be issued in the coming weeks to find a management team to run the facility.
The JJB complex, features up to a dozen indoor football pitches, a fully equipped commerical gym including a swimming pool, an ice rink, a bar, a coffee shop in addition to the first floor retail area.
Some of the pitches will be converted into badminton and basketball courts, while the gym would be available to the entire student population, in addition to members of the public on a fee paying basis.
A shuttle bus will operate between the college and the new facility every 15 minutes and the current gym in DKIT will then be turned into an elite gym for all elite athletes including more lifting platforms for Olympic lifting.
In addition to the existing services on offer, it is hoped to further develop the building for other sports and societies, for example, an indoor 100m track for athletics will be proposed.
The centre may also be used for conferring, concerts and conferences and there is the potential for the ice dome to re-open although this would be further down the line if it were to happen.
Around 30 jobs are expected to be created as a result of the purchase.
