The North Wales Pioneer writes:<\/p>\n
The removal of the former landmark \u2013 which in its heyday had tropical storm effects, a wave pool, novelty slides and an indoor surfing pool \u2013 will pave the way for Denbighshire County Council\u2019s plans to refurbish Rhyl Pavilion\u2019s Theatre and build a new 4,000 sqm exhibition and events centre. The development will act as an extension to the theatre and offer space to hold Christmas fairs, an ice rink and a Santa\u2019s Grotto.<\/p>\n
As part of Rhyl\u2019s regeneration, a new aquatic centre is to be built further down the promenade.<\/p>\n
Residents and former visitors to the town are sure to mourn the flagship attraction as it joins the long list of former crowd-pleasers in the resort including Rhyl pier, the original Pavilion Theatre, the Gaiety Theatre, amphitheatre, the open air swimming pool, the Royal Floral Hall and the short-lived monorail.<\/p>\n
Historian Colin Jones, who runs the Rhyl Life blog, said: \u2018The Sun Centre was the biggest success we ever had.\u00a0 The total cost was about \u00a34.5 million and it was money well spent. Its indoor surfing pool was the first in Europe, there were crazy novelty slides, a big wave machine and a monorail at a height around the interior of the complex. Visitors flocked there and spent money all over town.\u2019<\/p>\n
A spokesperson from Rhyl History Club added: \u2018I think lots of people have fond memories of the Sun Centre but personally, I’m not sorry to see it go. Time moves on and things change. I certainly never saw it as an iconic building.\u00a0 One thing I did love about the Sun Centre was that wherever you went in the world and said you were from Rhyl, someone would always say – Oh, I’ve been to the Suncentre.\u2019<\/p>\n
The Sun Centre opened in 1980 and closed in 2014 when the trust set up to run it, Clwyd Leisure, went into administration.<\/p>\n
Read more….<\/a><\/p>\n BBC News item<\/a><\/p>\n Liverpool Echo article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The sun is finally setting on Rhyl\u2019s Sun Centre – described as the town\u2019s \u2018biggest ever success\u2019 with demolition workers moving onto the site and starting to tear down the beloved water park, as the resort\u2019s seafront begins its latest … Continue reading