Staff at The Colony Aquatic Park have been coordinating multiple repair jobs on the Indoor Pool throughout the month of March. As a result, the facility closed March 10 and will reopen sometime in early April.
Originally, plans were to reopen on April 1 but an unforeseen repair will extend the closure to accommodate reinforcement to the steel support beams on the building. On April 2, workers will begin welding new support steel to deteriorated spots on some of the beams near the floor. This hidden damage was discovered while removing paint, in preparation for the new colors. Additionally some of the brick shrouds that covered the base of the steel beams were removed for thorough examination.
It is always the desire of city staff to make facilities as sustainable as possible. Staff members have been working with structural engineers to design and confirm that this repair will make the facility safer. Staff members hope to know by April 3 an approximate time for the competition of the task, and a date when we will return to the normal swim schedule. But due to the nature of the repairs needed, and for everyone’s safety while they are being completed, we will remain closed and we ask for everyone’s understanding and patience in the delay of the re-opening.
ORIGINAL POST: "We apologize for any inconvenience this closure might cause to swim guests who rely on us for their workouts,” said Elise Knox, Aquatic Park Manager. “But I think everybody is going to love the fresh new look when they come back."
Starting at the top, old fiberglass skylights will be replaced and the building support beams cleaned and painted a fresh coat of deep blue. The brick walls will receive a lighter shade of dusty blue. New LED lights will be added to brighten the pool decks and water to improve safety. The biggest part of the repair job will be grinding and recoating the fiberglass pool walls and bottom. During that process, worn-out anchor cups are replaced so that safety lines and lane markers stay hooked into the walls during use.
Funding for the work is provided through the city's Capital Improvement Projects budget and the Community Development Corp.