Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (Halifax, NS) – One of Halifax’s landmark recreational facilities is getting a major facelift. Over the coming months HRM will be investing in renovations of Centennial Pool to return it to its former glory.
Centennial Pool opened 45 years ago in preparation for the first Canada Summer Games in 1969. As part of a three-phase project, a major energy retrofit to the 50-metre pool facility concluded last year and now it’s time to tackle the other parts of the facility in need of improvement.
“When this final phase is completed, swimmers will be excited and proud of the look and feel of Centennial Pool,” said Denise Schofield, manager of Regional Recreation and Culture for HRM. “The renovations are expected to extend the life of the facility by another 20 years.”
While the first two phases of the renovation improved things behind the scenes, this third phase will improve the customer areas of the facility, including the change rooms and front desk area.
The tender call went out this week for the third phase of the renovation project.
Work is projected to begin in mid-August with completion expected by the end of the year. The pool will be closed during this time as upgrades involve extensive work to public areas including the change rooms, showers, and reception area. HRM tried to identify an option that would allow for the pool facility to remain open during renovations. However, with public safety being a paramount concern, it was determined a shutdown would be necessary.
A schedule for renovations was considered for this summer but following consultation with the Centennial Pool board, it was agreed the pool would remain open so athletes could prepare for the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que.
An alternate consideration was to close the pool next summer, but with the potential for other pool facilities also undergoing temporary closures at that time there were concerns this could leave Halifax swimmers with very few options.
Efforts are being made to find options for Centennial Pool patrons during the construction work. HRM apologizes for any inconvenience these renovations may cause.
Source: Release