New state-the-art sports centre planned for Remarkables Park

A state-of-the-art sports performance, rehabilitation and healthcare centre, slated to open in Queenstown next year, could be an additional lure to attract international professional athletes and teams to the district.

Queenstown physiotherapist Peter Forch has worked with elite athletes both here and across the ditch, and he is spearheading the project with podiatrist Georgina Reid, while local entrepreneur Rod Drury is offering financial backing.

In a statement announcing their plans, Mr Forch says they have taken the very best in sports industry practices and facilities from around the world and merged them into one specifically designed space for both sports training and recovery.

Dubbed 'The Mill', the 2,500-square-metre facility planned for Tulip Lane in Remarkables Park in Frankton will include a 1,200-square-metre gym, a spin cycle studio, a group high-intensity workout studio, a 25-metre indoor turf track, a high-tech recovery room, indoor and outdoor training spaces, treatment rooms, a mezzanine meeting and event space, and a hot-cold - or contrast - therapy zone with infrared as well as traditional saunas and plunge pools.

Mr Forch reckons it not only something new to Queenstown but new to New Zealand.

"We’re offering locals – both elite athletes and everyday fitness enthusiasts - the opportunity to train and recover in a bespoke environment not previously seen in New Zealand.

"And we’re really excited about the opportunity to create a hub for the community, a place that meets everyone’s training needs under one spectacular architecturally designed roof." 

The plan includes having resident physiotherapists, podiatrists, massage therapists, nutritionists, performance coaches, and an imaging specialist as well as other medical professionals.

"Queenstown is already a popular base for international athletes across a range of disciplines but access to a facility of this quality, and with this level of world class professional care and equipment, will encourage them to stay longer and spend more, impacting significantly on our local economy."

The facility will be located in Tulip Lane in Remarkables Park in Frankton.

The building has been designed by architects Warren and Mahoney and is being constructed by Cook Brothers.

Main image (Warren and Mahoney): Queenstown physiotherapist Peter Forch and podiatrist Georgina Reid, both working out of Remarkable Physios, are spearheading a project to deliver a purpose-built sports training and recovery facility in Frankton, which is flagged to open in 2025.