Aquatics: Major Construction Begins Next Month
Preparation of the grounds at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire for the new Aquatics facility has now commenced, with Government saying that construction equipment has been mobilized, excavation is underway, with the work crew endeavoring to prepare the site for major construction to begin in early January 2011.
“There has been much headway made with the Aquatics facility since the official groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 21st,” Minister Blakeney said. “I recognize that in the past there were several delays and setbacks which resulted in a lack of progress. But I am pleased to say that we are ‘all systems go’ and it is anticipated that the facility will be ready for the Island Games in 2013, which will be hosted right here in Bermuda.”
The Minister added: “After extensive research, careful assessment and consultation, we can finally initiate in earnest the construction of Phase One of the proposed Aquatics Centre.”
Phase 1 of the Aquatics Centre will consist of a 50 metre 8-lane pool with combined dive tank and dive platform. This will be the only 50m pool and dive tank in Bermuda. There will be changing facilities and restrooms that will service the pool area.
The Facility is designed by CannonDesign Architecture Inc., which employs a staff of over 1,000, delivering services in 17 offices throughout North America, as well as in Shanghai, China, and Mumbai, India. CannonDesign were a designer of the Commonwealth Games Pool in Victoria, BC.
“All components of this Aquatics Centre will be sanctioned by the international swimming governing body known as FINA and will be suitable for the competitive aquatic sports of swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming,” explained Chairman of the National Sports Centre Mr. Sean Tucker.
“The construction methodology of the swimming pool will consist of concrete that is made in Bermuda by local concrete suppliers and placed by Bermuda workers. Nineteen Bermudians have already been identified to work on this project. Extensive research and comparisons have been conducted on the validity of concrete construction over steel panel construction and after careful assessment it was deemed by the Board of Trustees (and also with the recommendation of one of the world’s largest engineering companies, Stantec) that concrete construction was the best method for Bermuda.”
Mr. Tucker added: “On the question of optimal sustainability, one of the measures of sustainability of a construction project is its use of local materials. The aquatics tank comprising of the concrete method will make use of locally sourced materials in comparison to a Myrtha steel panel tank, whose steel components are fabricated outside of Bermuda and, in the case of Myrtha, will have to be shipped from Italy to the United States and then reloaded for it to be shipped on to Bermuda. It is through thorough analysis and technical advice that the concrete solution has been selected for Bermuda.”
Past President of the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association [BASA] and present BASA member Tab Froud previously commented on the planned Aquatic Center saying, “many items are being withheld from the public on the new pool currently scheduled to be built by the NSC Trustees.”
Mr Froud went on to say that the “recommendations by BASA have been dismissed without explanation“ and that ”We (BASA) are not getting clear answers from the Trustees and it is felt that the current pool as scheduled by the NSC is flawed.”
Mr Froud said our location makes Bermuda a great venue to hold major competitions, and that even now they are receiving requests for pool use by US based swimmers. He says that is one reason they have pushed so hard for the right pool and design for Bermuda, and that the Aquatic facility may never be fully utilized if built wrong.
The ground breaking for the Aquatics Center took place on October 21 at the National Sports Center in Devonshire. The facility is expected to take just over 18 months to finish, at a projected cost of approximately $16 million.
And how are we able to afford this?!
International business is rapidly leaving Bermuda with no new business or money coming in.
Schools and police desperately need proper funding.
We are WAY over budget in the middle of a recession and now we are gonna build a big pool?!?!
Wow…$16 million?? You mean $26 million as we all know that it will probably be $10 million + over budget. Deficit???
I wonder if they realize that to be an Olympic pool it cannot have a shallow end?
The measurements for a true Olympic Pool are 50M by 25M by 2M deep all over.
Remember they couldn’t get the size of the football pitch right……