Alga Norte Aquatic Center to close about three months for restroom renovation and pool replastering

Director Lancaster updated the Parks and Recreation Commission on plans to renovate restroom and locker-room facilities and to replaster pools at the Alga Norte Aquatic Center. He said council approved the plans and specifications earlier in the process and staff is moving the projects through the bidding phase.

Lancaster said the city appropriated roughly $1,500,000 to ensure funds are adequate to complete the replastering work. He told commissioners that staff recommended staging the restroom renovation and pool replastering concurrently, which will require closing the aquatic center for about three months to avoid multiple mobilizations and the safety complications of overlapping construction activity. "This saves about $275,000 on the total set of projects because we don't have to rent temporary restroom facilities while the replastering is occurring," Lancaster said.

The scope of the restroom and locker-room renovation includes removing and replacing floor and wall tiles, repairing compromised framing, installing new waterproofing membranes and floor drains, rebuilding showers and making Americans with Disabilities Act improvements. The replastering scope covers new waterline tiles and coping, deck specialty tiles, replastering with gunite material and some substructure and deck drainage repairs, as well as lighting upgrades.

Lancaster said staff is reviewing construction bids and plans to return to City Council next month to request contract awards to the recommended bidders. He said construction would start, if all goes as anticipated, on Nov. 12 and run through mid- to late February; the balance of the park would remain open during the pool's closure.

The commission received the update; no Commission-level vote on the projects was recorded at the Sept. 16 meeting.