Ken Blair, a local developer and long-time resident who lives north of town, is contesting the decision and timing to demolish the former town pool site.
“It’s a disgrace … they’re setting it up to sell that property (when) there’s a wish list for a multi-purpose facility,” said Blair, who asserts the town’s loose estimate that it would cost upwards of $1 million to transform the site is “skewed.”
Blair, a civil engineer, would rather see the pool building re-purposed and used as an arts/cultural hub – at least until the town figures out the next steps for a future centre that could possibly house a seniors centre and various non-profits and community groups in need of more space.
The town began decommissioning the Big Hill Leisure Pool after it officially closed in mid-August and all programs were transitioned to the Jayman BUILT Aquatic Centre.
Council voted 6-1 to approve $740,000 in spring budget adjustments in May to decommission and demolish the former pool. Coun. Morgan Nagel voted against, expressing a desire to see the town explore further re-purposing options for the facility.
According to Suzanne Gaida, deputy CAO and former senior manager of community services for the town, they had to wait until the environmental report was conducted after the site closure before they could put the bid to demolish the site out for tender.
“The pool is not coming down the day before the election … the reality is this was approved by council in May,” said Gaida, confirming that the tender closes Oct. 16 at noon and that the site construction would likely begin in “early November.”
An estimated 17 contractors turned up last Friday, including Blair, for a pre-tender meeting, and Gaida said this high turnout indicates that they will receive competitive project bids to keep the final total under budget. She confirmed there were big contingencies built into the budget.
Gaida added that the $1 million ballpark estimation provided to council to remediate the building was based on similar facilities. The town did not undertake an engineering study.
Administration maintains that site remediation would be costly, as the nature of pool usage with excessive humidity poses a challenge.
Gaida said the environmental report indicate only “minor abatement (for some asbestos) was required” and as such, the concrete would be preserved, crushed and used by the town as road base and for future projects.
