Snohomish students, others eager to get back in swim with aquatic center

Published 12:01 am Monday, February 21, 2011

SNOHOMISH — It’s been almost four years since the city lost its only public indoor swimming pool, when the Hal Moe Memorial Pool closed because of structural and safety issues.

Boys and girls swimming teams in the Snohomish School District lost their place to train. For them, the closure meant driving at least 9 miles to use the pool at the Gold’s Gym in Woodinville.

But a new pool in town is on the way. Construction is scheduled to start this summer on a $19.5 million aquatic center. School district officials say the center can be used by students and everyone else in the community.

The district also hopes the center will host swim meets.

The first to benefit will be the 75 students on the swim teams at Snohomish and Glacier Peak high schools.

“It can give them more time to practice,” the district’s athletic director Mark Albertine said. “They will probably have 30 minutes extra.”

If work begins this summer, the opening date is expected to be fall 2012. The aquatic center is being paid by a 2008 voter-approved bond of $261 million.

The 46,000-square-foot center is planned to be at the Maple Avenue Campus, 601 Glen Ave. When voters approved the bond two years ago, the old Hal Moe site was considered for the new aquatic center. A lack of parking led school officials to decide against that idea.

The aquatic center’s design has three pools areas for different purposes: competition, recreation and for people with special needs. The competitive pool is planned to have 10 lanes and be about 25 yards long.

The proposed design has bleachers for 420 spectators, locker rooms, family changing rooms and a water slide.

The district plans to use the facility all year for swimming classes. There are also discussions for the center to be home to scuba diving classes and even water polo.

It will be open to the public, but it will not be free. Fees haven’t been determined.

“It would be to offset the operational costs,” project manager Steven Moore said. “The bond only paid for the construction costs.”

The aquatic center is still in the design phase, and no contractor has been selected. The bidding process is aimed for June.

School officials are hopeful that construction costs will come in low. That’s been the case with Machias and Riverview elementary schools. The district saved about $9 million in construction costs on those projects.

The aquatic center will be the second public indoor swimming pool built in the county in the past two years. The Lynnwood Recreation Center is set to open in April.

Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com. Other Snohomish school work

Snohomish High School: Renovation continues with work on Performing Arts Center and Media Building. Eleven classrooms are also being added in the D Building. Scheduled to be completed July 2012.

Centennial Middle School: There is work on a two-story, 10-classroom addition on the north end of campus. An auxiliary gym, fitness classrooms and outdoor covered play area will be added to the south end. Project expected to be finished September.

Valley View Middle School: Absher Construction Co. was selected to build the new school. Demolition of the old one is scheduled for the end of this week. New school to be ready for the 2012-13 school year.