A new estimate for the Athabasca pool has put its construction costs above the amount that has already been allocated by local councils, grants and community groups.
The eight-figure estimate was provided to the Athabasca Advocate in a package of meeting minutes, which state that it was presented to the Athabasca Pool Design Committee on Sept. 12.
Multiple people – both on and off the committee – stated that if the number were released it could increase the project’s price tag.
“I don’t want to state what the costing report is, because I think it could lose our competitive advantage when we go to tender,” said pool committee chair Rob Balay.
“As far as I’m concerned, those meetings and the committee should be public,” said Town of Athabasca councillor Tanu Evans, a former pool committee member who has been asking the committee for more information regarding the project. “However, there are certain cases where the preliminary release of actual figures like that ... before a project goes out to tender will actually impact the tender process and hurt it.”
Town Coun. Shelly Gurba, a pool committee member, also noted that the numbers will be revised, as the committee has asked for measures to reduce costs.
“Reduce the size of the slide, which would bring the actual structure down, about 10 feet down,” she said.
“So that would be less steel, that would be less money for the actual slide,” Gurba added.
She said she wants to see the new numbers to get a better sense of the project. She also said the project can be cancelled if the tender bids come in high.
“I’m not jumping the gun yet, at this point,” she said. “When this goes out for tender, the numbers might be very well in line with the numbers we have out there.”
The town has committed to borrowing $5 million for the pool. Athabasca County had asked the town to up their contribution to a matching $7.25 million, a request that was denied by town council in May.
The pool committee is made up of town and county councillors and administration, as well as community members.
The committee does not make decisions; it only makes recommendations that the municipalities can accept or reject.
Balay said there will be another open house within the month.
“There have been some changes to the design,” he said. “I think it’s awesome. We’ve listened to what people told us at the last open house. ”
