City will replace main building at Aquatic Center

The Shafter City Council approved an improvement project plan for the Shafter Aquatic Center which would give the facility a whole new look with a new building.

A special meeting was held on Tuesday night, and discussed three different options that were created to complete the renovation of the center.

The council recently awarded a contract to complete to get the pool operational and a little landscaping.

The project discussed Tuesday would include the main building, which was used for lockers, office space and a snack bar.

In 2021, an assessment was done to determine the cost to renovate the main building.

The first option discussed would keep the remaining building and do improvements on it. This project would be the quickest timeline and the cheapest of the options. It would cost up to $2 million, with $1.25 million coming from the city's General Fund Reserves and $715,000 from an ARPA grant. It would include improvements to the existing building, an HVAC system and installation of ADA compliance items.

The other two options include tearing down the existing structure and building a new one. Option #2 would include a building with 2,000 more square feet than the existing building and would cost between $4.5 million and $6 million. It had the longest timeline, 26 to 24 months to complete. It would include office space, a snack bar, restrooms and an activity space.

The third option also would include demolishing the existing building, but the new facility would be modular, have fewer amenities, and would be slightly smaller. It would take a lot less time to complete, as early as January 2025. The cost of this option would be between $2 million and $3 million.

After discussion, the council decided to move forward with the third option, at the lesser cost and earlier completion date, while still getting a new building in the project.