Repair works on the fire-ravaged Highbury Leisure Centre should finish early next year, after planning approval and a contractor were secured.
Islington Council planners waved through proposals to restore the Highbury Crescent facility run by GLL on January 24, and work has already started on patching up the hall, including the roof, pools and poolside area and changing rooms. KJ Evans has been appointed as the main contractor.
The council-owned leisure centre was refurbished to the tune of £2.5million in February 2017, only to go up in flames 18-months later on September 25.
The day after the blaze, the London Fire Brigade confirmed it was started by contractors working on the roof.
Talks are ongoing as to whose insurance provider will cover the costs.
A hundred people, including schoolchildren, were evacuated as the fire took hold but fortunately no one was hurt.
Paul Lister, head of service at GLL said: "This latest development is a huge step forward in the reinstatement works at Highbury Leisure Centre, as we enter the final and most significant phase of the programme.
"We continue to work closely with Islington Council to ensure that we can return outstanding leisure facilities to the community as quickly and safely as possible.
"We are extremely grateful to our customers for their continued patience. We appreciate the centre is an important community facility and we are extremely excited to welcome them to the new and improved centre."
Isilngton's health and social care chief Cllr Janet Burgess said: "With work now under way on reinstating the pool and health and fitness areas, I am looking forward to seeing the wonderful results."
A gym area was reopened 10-weeks after fire and a spin studio was unveiled last month.
Following the fire, the site was surveyed to assess the damage and how much of the remaining infrastructure could be reused, while also making it safe for rebuilding work to begin.
This was followed by the clearance of the pool hall, including the draining of pool tanks, clearing debris, removing damaged items and stripping out the existing electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems.
Workers also reinforced the remaining roof structure, as well as installing a shrink wrap system to protect the structure from the elements.
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