RDCK expects NDCC pool to reopen by mid-summer
By Nelson Daily Staff
There’s some good news on the horizon for users of the Nelson and District Community Complex Aquatic Centre.
Regional District of Central Kootenay General Manager of Community Services, Joe Chirico, said the facility is scheduled to open by mid-summer.
However, the news is too late for some of the user groups, including the Nelson Neptunes which had to cancel their representation in the Kootenay Summer Swim Association this season.
By this time of the year the Neptunes are usually gearing for the KSSA season.
However no place to train forced the board to cancel the season.
“This unexpected temporary closure of our facility has been hard on user groups, NDCC employees and our entire community,” said Chirico.
“The Nelson Neptunes summer swim club has had to make the very difficult decision to cancel their 2013 season. This highlights why we need to undertake a longer-term fix to modernize our aquatic centre.”
Chirico said the RDCK has received the final scope of work from the architect that shows construction will be completed in June.
Once the systems are cleaned and tested the pool will be refilled to open to the public.
“Swimmers should be able to dive in just as the weather is heating up,” said Chirico.
Since the pool closed in then winter ,the false ceiling has now been torn down and crews are sand-blasting girders to remove lead paint in keeping with WorksafeBC requirements.
New energy-efficient lighting, modern acoustical treatment for the pool ceiling and non-hazardous paint are on order.
A contractor bidding and selection process is underway and the successful contractor will arrive on site to begin construction in early May.
The RDCK will begin planning for the final phase of the repair and renovation project this fall when the community will be invited to provide input into design options for the aquatic centre with the goal of extending the life of the facility into the coming decades.
“Our immediate goal in this project has always been and continues to be to reopen the pool to the community as soon as possible,” said Ramona Faust, Recreation Commission Chair and Director for Area E.
“We also need to be sure that any work we do now makes economic and practical sense given the facility review, design and retrofit process that Bruce Carscadden and Iredale Group Architecture are undertaking for us.”
The Nelson and District Recreation Commission and RDCK staff are now reviewing initial design concepts to modernize the aquatic centre and improve the flow of activities and human movement throughout the recreation complex.
“We’ll share design options with the public once we receive the full architectural report. It’s going to be interesting to hear what people think and to see their response to concepts for making our facility a more inviting and functional space,” said Faust.
Removal of the false ceiling has cost about $100,000 with an expected total project cost of $600,000 for all repairs, and renovations.
The RDCK will continue to update the public regularly.
