Oct. 16—WATERTOWN — A Syracuse engineering firm will give a presentation to City Council tonight on the latest cost estimates for a proposed city pool at the North Elementary School.
In July, three council members instructed the consultant, C&S Companies, to come up some new plans for the William J. Flynn Municipal Swimming Pool on the city’s north side and report back to them.
Council members are expected to talk about the plans for either a U-shaped and L-shaped pool and repairs to the existing bathhouse.
The engineers estimate that the project will either cost about $3.2 million for the U-shaped pool or $2.8 million for the L-shaped pool, down from a previous maximum cost of $4.1 million for the project, according to a memo from the consultant.
On Monday night, City Manager Kenneth A. Mix will ask council for direction “where they want to go with this.”
Three years ago, the city shut down the existing rectangular pool because it needed major repairs. Council members Lisa A. Ruggiero, Patrick J. Hickey and Cliff G. Olney III have decided to replace that poolinstead.
The three also instructed the firm to complete fewer repairs to the bathhouse.
Mr. Mix said the cost reductions involve those changes in the bathhouse. The three council members made it clear that they don’t want to demolish the existing roof and replace it with one several feet higher to hide some duct work that now exists inside the bathhouse.
They also wanted to eliminate plans for a concession stand and replace it with rest rooms with access to the outside.
In the engineer’s memo, the consultant also wrote that the cost estimates are “reasonable opinions” based on different sources of information.
“It is not a prediction of a successful bid from a contractor as bids will vary due to fluctuating market conditions, lack of surplus bidders perception of risk, and so on,” the memo went on to say.
C&S Companies have also set up a possible schedule for the project. The engineers would move ahead with developing construction bids between now and March, bid it in April and award a contract in May. Construction would begin in May 2024.
Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith and Councilwoman Sarah V. Compo Pierce oppose the new Flynn pool, contending that the city cannot afford it and doesn’t need three city pools during the summer. They have said having the Flynn pool open is not worth it for just a couple of months a year.
This summer, the Alteri pool at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds reopened after it underwent $108,000 in repairs. The Thompson Park pool was also open this summer.
