Sandusky Aquatic Center project back on track

SANDUSKY — After several months of changes and adjustments, the Sandusky Aquatic Center project will soon restart and officially break ground. During this week's public meeting, superintendent Dan Rambler updated Sandusky city commissioners on the Sandusky Aquatic Center project, which can be viewed on the city's YouTube channel. Rambler shared a couple of key updates: • Mosser Construction, within the past two weeks, agreed to join the aquatic center project after district officials interviewed area companies. Mosser is the same construction company that built Sandusky Schools' three newest schools: Sandusky Early Learning Academy for preschool and kindergarten students; Sandusky Primary for first- and second-grade students; and Sandusky Intermediate for grades 3-6. Each of the schools have been completed within the past three years. • Crews will begin work in Sandusky High School's back parking lot in August, with construction slated to finish by December 2024. "There will be many preparation projects that will begin within the next few months as the project moves forward," spokeswoman Kerstyn Pou said. Additionally, Sandusky Schools said the project's current budget is $8.5 million, which, broken down, is made up of about $5 million in donations collected by the Sandusky Education Foundation, a nonprofit that's handling the fundraising efforts; and almost $4 million in district funds. Rambler provided a fact sheet with these details to city commissioners. "People are excited to get this moving along. They're excited to see progress on it," Rambler said. "I'm happy to talk to anybody anywhere about the pool. I want it to be very clear and transparent and make sure people have their questions answered." Anyone with questions about the project can send them to sanduskyaquaticcenter@scs-k12.net. In May, the project came to a halt when district officials learned no construction companies showed interest in working on the project. Costs also increased, which caused issues for the project. "At the bidding phase, our team learned that the projected costs increased by 30%," Pou said in May. "As the project moved through various phases — schematic design, design development and bidding — the aquatics center team reviewed the costs of the project attempting to keep them within budget and reasonable operating costs." Design changes In January, Sandusky board members approved updates to Sandusky Aquatic Center's design created by ThenDesign Architecture, an educational design firm based in Willoughby, near Cleveland. With the latest planned updates, only one pool will now be constructed. In November 2022, project architects from ThenDesign Architecture told Sandusky Schools about "anticipated increases to construction costs." "The district then asked ThenDesign Architecture to revise the facility design to include efficient use of space and resources while continuing to meet the three primary goals of the aquatic center: teach Sandusky youth how to swim; offer community access for swimmers of all ages; and to support the district's extracurricular swim teams and clubs," Pou said. The updated design features, approved by board members, a new eight-lane, stainless steel Myrtha competition pool, including a pool ramp; removable equipment; and other accommodations to meet the needs of children, elderly residents and those with special needs. "The plan to restore the current 65-year-old pool was determined to be too costly," Pou said. Instead, the space will "be renovated to include a large multipurpose room for various student and community activities" like "youth wrestling, competition cheer practice, and community yoga classes." "With this updated design, the Sandusky Aquatic Center will feature 285 spectator seats, newly designated team bleachers, new family restrooms, a new entrance, lobby, offices and storage space," Pou said. "The existing swim team locker rooms will also be renovated and remain in use." The Sandusky Aquatic Center will still be built behind Sandusky High School near the athletic entrance, but about 65 current parking spaces will be taken away. In January, construction was expected to begin last month and be completed by December 2024. In June 2022, the estimated cost for the project was $11 million, an increase from the original $7 million price tag given years ago. The planning process In recent years, Sandusky Schools hired ThenDesign Architecture and Water Technology, an aquatics design firm based in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. ThenDesign architects Ryan Schmit and Claire Bank along with Water Technology engineer Steve Crocker were selected to lead the design process for the new facility, district officials said. Sandusky alumni started the pool project in 2017 because the current pool at Sandusky High School is more than six decades old and disintegrating. Back then, the group of former swimmers hired Wallover Architects, from Pennsylvania, for the preliminary design and budget work. The Sandusky Education Foundation took up the project's financial components. Plans to build a pool facility halted due to the pandemic but restarted within the past two years. Erie County nonprofit foundations like the Wightman-Wieber Foundation, Dorn Foundation, local businesses and individual donors have pledged financial support and now have given most of the project's needed funds. The project also snagged $2 million from Sandusky Schools meant for repairing the current pool. Anyone interested in donating to the Sandusky Aquatic Center should visit sanduskyef.org or feel free to email bhanck@sanduskyef.org, for more information on the ways one may contribute. _ Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood