GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Gillette City Council will consider a $5.7 million bid submitted by Powder River Construction next week to begin building a new city pool.
The bid is slightly higher than Powder River Construction’s previous offer of $5.4 million, submitted earlier this year when the company was the only bidder, an offer that was ultimately rejected in March because the council felt it was too much over the engineering estimate.
Despite the city reopening the project to receive additional bids, Powder River Construction was once again the only company to submit a project bid. While the company’s bid is again higher than the engineering estimate, city staff are recommending the council approve the bid to allow construction of a new pool to commence, according to the City of Gillette.
The new city pool design includes the replacement of the pool piping and plumbing as well as a new pool heater, pumps, pool tank and surrounding deck and filter system. It also includes updates to the existing mechanical building and the existing bathhouse, per the city.
Additionally, the proposed configuration will have a zero-depth pool with water features and a lap pool, though the diving well has been removed as a cost-savings effort, the city says.
The first city pool to be built in the South Gillette Avenue location was installed in the 1960s and was replaced in 1994. The pool was removed in fall 2022 after it experienced settlement and leakage problems, both of which will be addressed with the new pool, per the city, which says the new design will provide for more efficient operation and staffing.
If the project bid is approved, construction of the new pool will begin in late summer or fall 2023, with a completion date tentatively expected in spring 2025, the city says.
