The current facility was built in 1989 at a price of £15 million by York Council, adding to a swimming pool, which had been previously constructed on the site in 1980. The 1989 construction added a sports hall and auditorium, with a climbing wall facility, café and bars. Despite offering the largest concert facility and a wide range of classes and local events (such as the annual York Interschool Battle of the Bands), York Barbican consistently made losses while it was operated by the council, and in 2000, both the swimming pool and new facilities were placed on the market in a bid to pass them on to private management.
