New Cameron aquatic center designs unveiled
The Cameron Park Board received its first view of two concepts for the new Cameron Aquatic Center and will vote to finalize those plans Thursday.
With both plans exceeding the $4.7 million budget, the board will meet with Lamp Rynearson Aquatics Group Leader Andy Smith and associates with Carrothers Construction Thursday in order to approve either the primary plan, the alternative plan or a combination of both.
“We tried to come up with alternates that would still satisfy, in my estimation, the intent of what you asked the public to vote on. Although the deck is slightly different, the pools are the same,” Smith said. “Although a slightly differerent play structure than what they saw in the images, it is a play structure nonetheless. The waterslides are there. All of the play elements in the activity area are still there.”
Last June, voters approved a 1/2-cent sales take funding the new aquatic center and city park with Cameron Public Works Director Bontrager estimating it would generate $640,000 per year, totaling $16 million by the time it sunsets in 2045. Earlier this month, the Cameron City Council approved an $8.2 million spending package with $7 million set aside for construction of the park and the new Cameron Aquatic Center with the hopes of opening both Memorial Day of 2022.
The $4.7 million set aside for the Cameron Aquatic Center would be a complete overhaul of the current Cameron Municipal Pool complex and include a curled water slide and a straight slide to emphasize speed, an aquatic playground, a seven-lane swimming pool, bring the facility to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and much more.
The differences between the two plans primarily center on the scope of the concrete work. The primary plan, which comes in at nearly $5 million, includes additional space set aside for shaded seating and a two-deck concrete slab for the pool area. The second plan would reduce the facility to a single, flat surface and have less shaded seating areas. Other cost saving measures discussed include using local partnerships for installation of sound equipment, lighting and electrical work.
Should the Park Board approve the plan Thursday, Bontrager said construction could get underway this spring. This also means the current Cameron Municipal Pool will not be open this summer.
