New pool on schedule: Workers believe May 24 opening date is realistic
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“I have every intention of making it on time,” C&H Contractors site superintendent Mike Logan said Wednesday. “All I have left are the pavilions. We have all the water features. We’re close. Real close.”
Logan and subcontractor Tim Powers of Burelson Pools said they were both hoping for good weather within the next few weeks. Good weather is especially important to Powers, who had a crew work until 1 a.m. Wednesday morning in order to prepare for plaster work in the pool shell all that day.
He anticipated about three days of plaster work and said water could be in the deep end of the pool as early as Wednesday night.
“If everything holds out and the rain doesn’t hit us by Friday, the plaster work with be completed,” Powers said. Burelson is responsible for the plaster and tile work in the pool shell, while C&H is the general contractor.
Logan and Powers said they have enjoyed cooperation and guidance between work crews and city officials, but said bad weather – mostly rain – had put them a little behind schedule.
“That’s the only thing that impacted us was the weather, but when the weather was bad, we worked inside. Other than that, I haven’t had any trouble,” Logan said, “Just people asking when it’s going to be open.”
Powers said a few days of below-freezing weather didn’t help with tile work either.
“We had a few rain days where we couldn’t do anything, and a few days where it got below freezing. You can’t do tile work when it’s below freezing because it won’t bond,” he said.
Logan said he could not guess how many people have asked him about opening day, of which Parks and Recreation Director Carlene Brown said she is in the process of coordinating.
Brown said she is anticipating a busy day of operation and working out any kinks that may arise. The availability of pool passes is still in the works, she added.
“The biggest thing is, it’s going to open on time,” Logan added. Construction began a little less than a year ago.