School district dives into pool remodeling

The North Kitsap School District board of directors approved spending $2.8 million toward the remodeling of the community swimming pool at Thursday night’s meeting.

The pool, plagued in recent years by moisture and mold problems in the building’s shell, will undergo a significant remodeling—with even more improvements to be made than the district first anticipated, thanks to a favorable bid climate and an improvement in state matching funds.

The bid was awarded to James H. Robinson Company, Inc from Bremerton, the second lowest bidder. The lowest bid, submitted by RAS Builders of Seattle, contained irregularities that the board reviewed and found to be material. The board chose not to accept the bid from RAS, and awarded the work to Robinson.

Included in the work will be a plaster pool liner, a high rate sand filter, as well as work in the auditorium and music room HVAC and an an air compressor and electrical work in Room 308.

Groundbreaking for the project is tentatively scheduled for March 1.

The pool is currently closed to the public for preparation work. Work on the pool is expected to be completed in time for the beginning of the school year in 2002.

The presence of mold in the walls of the pool, while not a significant health hazard, is one of the reasons the pool is being renovated. The mold and moisture problems were traced to the pool’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system, as well as failure of the building’s envelope (outer walls). This failure allowed moisture to enter the walls and led to mold.

Renovations will include a demolishing and rebuilding of the building’s envelope; a replacement HVAC system, an upgrade of the pool’s electrical system; a renovation of the pool’s locker room, the addition of an elevator/stair tower at the entrance and replacement of the environmental control system.

Funding for the project was made possible by voter’s passage of a $60 million school bond last year.

In other actions, the school board discussed concerns about parking at the community auditorium and high school and agreed to look into options that might be available.

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