When construction of the nearby $2.3-million Tuapeka Aquatic Centre began, the idea of a skateboard park in town had received ''a bit of hype and a bit of talk'', Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board chairman Geoff Davidson said.
But at a public meeting last month Mr Davidson said the idea seemed to fall flat.
The feeling at the meeting was Lawrence did not have enough young people to turn its old swimming pool into a bowl for skateboarding, but those present wanted the old building to go.
''The general consensus is that the building needs to come down because it's ugly as hell and it's had it.''
The dozen or so at the meeting did not think enough of the town's population of 400 would use a skate park.
''Lawrence is so committed to a swimming pool now that there's no extra money around to go towards a skateboard park,'' Mr Davidson said.
Replacing the old pool began in 2009, when a Tuapeka Aquatic Centre working group began to investigate how to replace the Clutha town's failing, cold, leaking pool.
And now the community had about a year to come up with a feasible plan for the area before the pool is decommissioned in the next 12 to 18 months, he said.
The idea of a green space - perhaps using the pool building's inside arched wooden laminated beams as a feature in the green space - had been suggested at last month's meeting.
Toilets at the site might have a future use, Mr Davidson said.
After delays in opening the Tuapeka Aquatic Centre, the Clutha District Council reversed a funding decision late last year and the Lawrence pool operated for the last time, for a shortened season, this summer.
The new swimming pool in Lawrence is expected to open in spring this year.
