POWAY, Calif. (KGTV)- The grand re-opening of the City of Poway Swim Center will be pushed back after city engineers disapproved of a recent concrete pour job. Swimmers will not be able to enjoy the new facility until after Labor Day, city officials said.
The Swim center was built in 1988. It underwent a smaller renovation in 2011. Last November, city council approved of a $3.4 million renovation project, which would modernize the entire complex. Plans call for new decking, tile plaster, a kids splash pad, and a new building.
The complex has been closed since construction began in January. It was supposed to be complete this month. However, the concrete poured on a small portion of the new deck was not up to the city engineers’ standards.
“The finish on it isn’t up to specifications, and the slope is off a little bit,” Poway City Manager, Tina White said.
Crews now need to scrape off the concrete and start over. The contractors have agreed to handle the additional costs with a new subcontractor. Because of this, White said the costs would not be trickled down to the taxpayers of Poway.
“The good news is it won’t cost the city more money in terms of a contract. The downside is that it is taking a lot longer than what we had hoped,” White said.
76-year-old Leslee Roberts has been taking the Senior Water Aerobics classes at the Poway Swim Center for the last 18 years. Since January, she and her classmates started going to FIT Athletic Club in Carmel Mountain Ranch. She said she was excited to go back to her new-and-improved home pool this summer until she found out about the proposed new pool fees.
“We expected because of the improvements and all that they’re doing. The cost would be going up. But I’m afraid that most of us didn’t think it would be going up quite so much,” Roberts said. “I know a good 30 people who come here on a regular basis. That love it. That need it. That aren’t going to be able to afford it.”
At FIT, Roberts says she now pays about $40 a month. For the same number of classes at the upgraded Poway pool, she would pay $72 a month, with a senior discount. After the pool opens in September, pool fees will go up a few dollars for all ages. The city says its a fair price staff proposed after faint marks analysis.
“The fees are still very reasonable and well within market,” White said.
Roberts plans to attend the next city council meeting with the hopes to keep her home pool, more affordable.
Poway City Council will discuss the new proposed pool fees at their next meeting on July 17, 2018.
