An indoor pool is not a dead-in-the-water idea for Princeton.
In fact, the pool is still very much on the table.
Last week, town council voted to hire VDA Architects, at a cost of $26,500, to revamp a previous pool design.
According to Mayor Spencer Coyne, there may be funding opportunities arising in the near future, and Princeton needs a “shelf-ready” proposal.
“There’s a lot of rumbling that there is going to be infrastructure and project money coming forward,” he said.
Earlier this year, a grant application for $20 million, to build an indoor aquatic and wellness centre, was denied by the province.
If approved, Princeton would have had to fund approximately $7 million of the project.
The facility was to include a five-lane lap pool up to 6.8 feet deep, a leisure pool with tots area, overhead sprays and rehabilitation features, a lazy river, hot pool, upper level walking track, pickleball courts and exercise area, coffee bar, and party and meeting rooms.
Related: New Princeton council takes pool plunge
Coyne said the municipality is now setting its sights on a smaller facility that will hopefully include the most desirable aspects of the original proposal.
“They (VDA) are going to give us some options,” he said. “They are going to try to make it fit into a smaller budget.”
Coyne said he expects a new design to cost less than $20 million.
A less ambitious grant application may be better received by higher levels of government, he added.
“We have a better chance if we look at a more affordable option.”
The town still plans to place the facility downtown, on the former Overwaitea property, on Bridge Street.
Related: Province denies $20 million grant application for Princeton’s aquatic centre
To report a typo, email:
publisher@similkameenspotlight.com.
andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.