Pools making progress
Most construction on schedule
The major overhaul and rebuild of the city’s six outdoor swimming pools is benefiting from nice fall weather. In some places, construction is a little bit ahead of schedule.
“We are doing very well,” said Barry Russell, director of the city of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We are definitely on schedule, and for some of the bathhouses we are a little bit ahead.”
Work at Witter Pool got started a bit later than elsewhere because the Department of Ecology required a 21-day waiting period for construction to comply with the shoreline management plan.
The basin at Shadle Park was expected to be finished last Friday.
At Comstock Pool, Russell said, excavation uncovered an old pool that had been left in the ground during the last restoration project.
“They pretty much put the new pool down inside the old one,” said Russell. That made for some more hauling and excavation than planned.
At the Hillyard Pool, the basin is almost gone, and a foundation for the building addition was scheduled to take place this week.
The underground plumbing and backfill is completed at the A.M. Cannon Pool and at Liberty Pool, the demolition is progressing as planned.
Russell said the plan is for two pools to open at the end of June, two more to open in mid-July and for all six to be up and running by the end of July.
The much-missed neighborhood splash pads will hopefully be ready when school lets out, Russell said.
“They all look different. They are unique to the neighborhoods because they were designed by the kids and the people who live there,” Russell said.
Major work will begin on the Albi-Merkel Complex at Joe Albi Stadium in spring.
That project includes a skateboard park and a BMX track, as well as new turf on the soccer fields, which will not be ready until spring of 2010.
“We want to allow a full growing season for the turf,” Russell said. “We’ll get in the ground as soon as we can this spring.”
The BMX track and the skateboard park may be ready earlier.
“Everything is interconnected. We need dirt from one site to get started on the other site,” Russell said, “so I’m not exactly sure when the skateboard park and BMX track will open.”