Construction on the new pool and fitness facility is progressing on track for an 18-month building period, and soon progress above ground will be visible to the naked eye.
Construction on the new pool and fitness facility is progressing on track for an 18-month building period, and soon progress above ground will be visible to the naked eye.
Wet and muddy conditions in the fall briefly slowed down construction, but Athabasca County communications co-ordinator Karl Kopan said the project has “been forging ahead greatly since then” and is on track for its February 2019 completion.
“All of the work that has taken place over the past two months has been below ground level,” he said. “This forms the basis for the lane swimming pool and the leisure pool.”
“The sub-surface work arguably is the most important part of the facility, because it will need to function well over the anticipated life of the facility, which is the next 40-50 years,” Kopan added.
There are a few areas of focus for the sub-grade work, he said, including the outer foundation, the steel structure that will be built up from that and excavation of the lap pool and pouring of concrete for the filtration room.
The filtration room will hold all the mechanics for the lap and leisure pool, and Kopan said workers are now installing the hoarding – an insulated heating closure – over the filtration room.
“What this will do is it'll enable the pool contractor to start installing mechanicals for the pool under there. So all the equipment for the filtration systems and treating the water and all that are down in that room,” Kopan said. “It's like the heart of the whole pool.”
Water and sanitary lines for the facility have been roughed into the basement, and will be tied into the town's system at a later date.
Kopan said next steps include installing a natural gas line that will serve both the work site and finished facility, putting weeping tiles in and work on the pool mechanical system. Installation of foundation walls and detail designs of the interior wall will follow.
A big step for next month will be work beginning above ground, Kopan said.
“It's anticipated the steel frame of the building will begin going up next month,” he said. “When you look at the work site from a distance, you'll actually see something. It will be above grade, so that's pretty exciting for the project.”
Kopan likened the construction process to “an accordion.”
“Sometimes things slow up a bit, but then it speeds up,” he said. “And so they really look at the whole project period of 18 months.”
Kopan added it is exciting to see the project progress.
“It's very exciting to see the project move forward in the way it has,” he said. “Once things start coming together a little more, we hope anyone that goes to the Multiplex and looks out over the viewing area can see what's happening with the project and get excited with us as well.”
Construction on the pool project began after Athabasca County and Town of Athabasca councils accepted Clark Builders' $15,295,000 bid June 7.
According to administrative reports, the estimated capital cost of the pool and fitness centre, including furnishings, could go as high as $16,381,915 and would be split on a 60/40 basis between the county and town.
