City council approved $14 million Long Center natatorium repairs; sundeck removed to save $900,000

The Clearwater City Council approved a $14,000,000 contract for repairs and upgrades to the Long Center natatorium, Parks and Recreation Director Art Decatur told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Jan. 28.

Decatur said council removed a construction alternate for an enclosed sundeck, a decision that trimmed roughly $900,000 from the contract price. The city will continue with an alternate to install solar panels after securing a 50% match for the panels.

“It's a $14,000,000 project,” Decatur said, and added that removing the sundeck was a fiscal decision: the alternate “saved about $900,000 so they were wanted to be fiscal conservative in that regard.” Decatur also said staff are seeking donors to reinstate the sundeck if private funding becomes available.

The department will inspect and investigate a leak in the pool before proceeding with shell construction, Decatur said. He described humidity problems and corrosion in the facility’s structure that have persisted for years; the renovation will include measures to control humidity and extend the facility’s usable life.

Why this matters: Decatur said the Long Center contains one of the few publicly available Olympic-sized pools in the region and hosts competition and community programming. The council’s decision commits major capital funding to restore and modernize the facility while trimming optional scope to be fiscally conservative.

No formal board action was taken at the meeting; Decatur said staff will provide exact contract figures and project details to the board in the meeting minutes.