Construction of the new, but smaller, Highland Park swimming pool could begin this summer, Guthrie City Council members were told Tuesday by representatives from GH2 Architects and Crossland Construction.
Daniel Smith, from GH2 Architects, serves as project manager for the municipal pool reconstruction. He said the existing pool is "circa the early 1930s, so it's been in the city for quite a long time and currently has not been used over the past couple of years due to maintenance and just overall condition of the pool.”
He said the pool is about 7,000 square feet.
“One of the major issues just through the years is upkeep and maintenance,” he said. “And every year before swim season, it must be repainted, both the pool shell and the pool deck. So that's a large maintenance item. The existing pool also has a lack of accessibility. One of the main goals is providing new accessibility to the existing municipal pool location.”
Smith also said the pool bathhouse and equipment building are in rough shape, and in need of upgrading.
“There's the existing bathhouse on the site and it's got a lot of maintenance items that need to be addressed,” he said. “Top of the list are accessibility, just the age of the space. There's a lot of things that have been maintained over the years but may not be in the best shape. And if you've been inside, it's a maze to get through it and so difficult for people who have different mobility needs to move through and access the city's facilities.”
He explained that the equipment building that houses the pool's equipment has an original roof that is so corroded that "it's no longer used as the primary roof" and, instead, a temporary roof is being used.
Smith said the proposed renovation plan includes reusing the existing bathhouse and existing equipment building. The pool area, naturally, is the centerpiece.
“What we'll be doing is demolishing the entire existing pool deck and then a portion of the existing pool shell, and then replacing it with a smaller pool,” Smith said. “Given the usage rates of the municipal pool, only about 30 people per day were visiting, and it's a lot of pool to be able to maintain and upkeep for that number of people. And providing a new pool that has new amenities, it functions better, it's modern, you can really serve the community better with that.”
Smith said the new pool’s deepest depth would be around 5 feet deep.
“It’s more of a recreational pool, people with younger kids and families,” he said. “There's a couple of other amenities with it. (There would be) a vortex slide that spins like a corkscrew and then people are ejected out into the deeper part of the pool. There is (also) a small toddler slide, so in the shallower area they can use; there will also be some geyser spray features in the shallow area for play as well.”
Smith said the proposed plan addresses the accessibility issue from the existing bathhouse down to the deck level.
“We'll be keeping everything essentially at the same level that they currently are but addressing those accessibility items and new stairs, as well, in an effort to address costs and make sure we're being as efficient as possible,” he said. “The existing shade structures are relatively new, and we are going to be reusing them with the existing site."
Smith said if funding is available, the park’s public restrooms would get a cosmetic upgrade.
He added that the plan is to demolish the interior of the bathhouse, keeping the roof, the exterior walls and most of the systems within it, but redoing the layout of the space.
“What we're trying to achieve here is using the same entry and exit points, having a central lobby space where the lifeguards, the staff, have a central location that they can see people coming into and out of the aquatic center,” Smith said. “We're trying to achieve a more symmetrical layout and create a more open space for people to move throughout.
"We're providing new toilets, new showers, and new dry changing spaces. There is a new family restroom that is enclosed. It'll have an accessible shower and toilet, as well as baby changing stations so families can have privacy as they need.”
Smith said with the equipment building, the plan includes demolishing the two existing roofs and replacing them.
“The new roof structure will be protected from the corrosive chemicals that are used with the pool to treat the water. So, we'll be protecting that,” he said. “All new pool equipment for the new pool, but utilizing the existing building. And then we'll be separating those chemicals over into their own spaces. That'll be exhausted separately also to prevent future corrosion and extend the lifetime of this space.”
Smith said the aim is to begin construction this summer.
“We're on track to issue construction documents this May, and then hopefully proceed with the construction later in the summer,” he said.
Aaron Stoops, Vice-President/Division Manager-Oklahoma City with Crossland Construction, said the construction cost of the municipal pool project is about $2 million.
“We're serving as the construction manager on this job,” he said. “In this preliminary phase, our main duty is to manage the budget, manage the schedule, and manage the materials and procurement issues that we'll inevitably face with just the onset of what construction looks like nowadays. We're currently looking at about a $2 million budget with the project. About 50% to 60% of that is the cost of the pool alone.”
The project is primarily being funded through the City’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) sales tax.
