I haven’t even watched the presentation yet (PDF: poolpart) but changes to the pool are already in the process. Funny how the committee was able to come up with these recommendations in one week 😉
As you can see, the plans we were shown before the Spellerberg vote have been scaled back (Surprise!) We said all along that the advocational presentations were just ‘fluff’ to get people to vote against the outdoor pool.
This is what we were shown before the vote (click to enlarge) the only ‘increase’ in square footage comes in the additional activity rooms, they scaled back on the outdoor part and something else missing is the exterior drawings with the new plan.
You can also see, it’s going to cost almost $4 million more then what we have been told (Surprise #2). They are claiming the price went up because of ‘time’. Funny, a $4 million increase in less then a year . . .
What we haven’t been told is if the city got a MOU from the VA on the quit claim deed. During the meeting though councilor Anderson questioned the lack of transparency to the mayor sharing these changes to the council. The mayor’s response was classic, kill the messenger, he asked where Kenny’s plans were.
Thank you for this report. It’s another something the media never properly reports. Yes, seems there are surprises. I’m sure there will be more. Because of the unconstitutional city charter and the rigged voting language, citizens can’t stop extravagant design and cost.
It still looks like it is going to be a monstrous building in what used to be a really nice park. I wonder how it will change real estate values in the neighborhood. A lot of people don’t want to live near a place where there will excessive parking.
Looks great! Think big. Progress.
if MMM runs for guvna, the opposition will have a field day pointing out mike’s lowball estimates vs the actual cost over runs.
Poor Kenny. Sounds like the sour grapes guy to mmm. Kiley on the other hand doesn’t know squat. Never ends with our city idiots
Can anyone explain the Bradfeldt gift?
Well this is interesting. Some kind of quasi everything place with nothing special included but the over budget price.
Look at the locker rooms, no showers or toilets planned?
What are the elevators for? Going up to the bleachers? How tall is the building going to be?
How about the therapy pool out with the kiddie pools so the kids are jumping in and out of them while fragile disabled people are using them.
When using a therapy pool the chill of the open room will defeat the calming effect needed. You definitely can tell these people have never needed one.
If they are planning team meets, where are the teams going to meet?
When Kearney complained of the stainless steel rusting, did he ask what grade of stainless they were using?
Where is the warming area for the sledding hill? The south entry door vestibule?
I wonder if the city got a discount for the $46,000 spent on drawings not used after the election?
We are now up to almost a 25 million dollar pool! About 10% of the cities population is going to actually use this! Does anyone believe a couple of years from now they’ll be wheeling old veterans from the Hospital to soak in the therapy pool?!?! This pool is going to serve a very small element of our community and we are all going to be paying for it for many years.
I am guessing that the elevator is for individuals who use a wheelchair or other mobility devices, or unable to climb/descend stairs.
I think it will be great to have a pool that is accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Ms. Erpenbach Remember the Drake Springs OUTDOORS Pool. Not a penny over the estimates.
Same goes for this extravagant snowfax pool for the elite.
This project was sold to the voters at a cost of $19.8m.
The final (maybe) number is coming in 22% higher at $23.7m.
All eight Councilors should be working to protect their constituents by VOTING NO to appropriate the additional $3.9m!!!!
The lack of transparency about this project and trickery used in the ballot language when this facility was voted on is unbelievable!
The council seems to have no power, because they don’t get the proper information on these and other projects and when a councilor asks why, the response is: “Do you have a better idea”? Well it appears evident that there are a only few people: MMM, Kearney and their pre-chosen committee have made the decisions undercover about the plans as it would probably been against the advice of the city attorney to give councilors the information!
This has turned into nothing more than MMM getting his list of projects done while in office come hell or high water; cost should never be a factor! What has happened to our city government?
EWO – The Bradfeldt gift is estate money bequeathed to the city about a year ago for “parks”.
They had considered using it for a section of the Downtown Greenway, but MMM has pushed that project back to 2018. Looks like they found another use for her money ($500,000?).
There are several misconceptions with this new plan. The old plan included a spray park. GONE. The old plan included a sundeck. GONE. The new plan brags about an enlarged recreational pool area. Kinda, sorta, but not really. All they did was add the current pool and water slide, which were in the old plan, to the recreational pool and called it enlarged. The therapy pool they say was an added amenity. Not true. Was always on the original plan. Same size. Same functions. Just spiced it up by calling it a veterans tribute therapy pool. Say they added two multifunction meeting rooms. Again. Not true. They also were in the original plan.
This is what was NOT in the original plan. Seating for 500 in the 10 lane 50 meter pool area. God knows Snowfox parents should not have to stand to watch their $2000 a year club members swim in meets. They also added a mezzanine around the 50 meter pool area. Hence, the need for an elevator. Still think this place is being built in the core area for core area kids? Not a chance. Wait til you see the price tag to get in the doors. But then again, the 20% increase in cost in one year is easily offset by the 20% increase in one year afforded to the Joe Sixpacks who are paying for the place.
Not much left to say. All comments here are relevant. It sure seems this plan is inferior and not worth $25 million. There’s no entertainment compensation (no seating stands) and no parking. You can’t pay for this when only a few swimmers pay and available parking is absorbed by veterans who must park here because there’s not enough parking at the VA hospital. It’s disgusting that a deceased resident wanted to do something with $500k for ‘parks’ that will become a chlorine moldy stench coming from a large building that used to be a ‘park’.