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Insurance-led gutting at Bay Oaks paves way for rebuilt gym, epoxy flooring and elevated systems
Summary
After storm damage, the town's insurer took over rehabbing the Bay Oaks gym and related spaces. Contractors are in place to restore the facility largely to its prior configuration with mitigation upgrades such as raised HVAC, enclosed pump/chemical storage and epoxy flooring; timelines remain unspecified.
Town staff told the advisory board on Jan. 15 that the facility’s insurance carrier has taken responsibility for rehabbing large portions of the Bay Oaks building and has begun demolition and repairs following storm damage. The insurance contractor removed damaged gym flooring, toilet fixtures and fitness equipment and plans to reinstall the facility “basically the way it was” with mitigation adjustments, staff said.
Among mitigation measures discussed: replacing the gym floor surface with epoxy rather than tile or vinyl, elevating HVAC package units by roughly 5–8 feet where feasible, enclosing and ventilating the pool chemical/pump room, and creating a separate, compact modern pump system. Staff said the insurance company will fund replacement to the prior condition; any additional mitigation (for example, raising switchgear or moving equipment to higher elevations) would require town capital funds.
The advisory board also heard staff describe extensive interior work already underway: the gym floor and some fixtures have been removed, and contractors recommended epoxy flooring that can be painted with multiuse lines for basketball, pickleball and volleyball. Staff said some equipment will be replaced under insurance; other higher-cost mitigation items would be paid from town reserves or capital funds.
Switchgear replacement and elevation was highlighted as a town-funded mitigation investment. Staff said the town plans to raise electrical switchgear to the roof of a small building to reduce repeated flood damage; insurance will not pay for that elevation. The town also reported earlier rebidding of a related Bay Oaks redevelopment package: council rejected all bids on a prior round and the project will be rebid with more specific material scope and not-to-exceed pricing to fit the available grant and match funding.
Ending: Staff said the insurance company is managing many of the repairs and will bring contractors; the advisory board will review site and design details at future meetings and was asked to prioritize elements to include in the rebid and in town-funded mitigation work.
