SAC Pool to receive $2.7 million worth of renovations
The pool sits unused on Jan. 13 at the Central Michigan University Student Activity Center.
Students returning to campus this spring semester will have access to a newly updated pool in the Student Activity Center.
Renovations made to the pool’s infrastructure will expand its life by 25 years, said Stan Shingles, assistant vice president of University Recreation.
“It’s almost like building the pool (again),” he said. “Everything is being gutted except the shell of the facility. Everything else is going to be brand new.”
The total cost of the renovations is $2.7 million, said Linda Slater, plant and engineering director. The pool will officially open Jan. 7.
Work being done includes:
- Replacement of the moveable floor
- upgraded pool and spa drains
- installation of new gutters, skimmers and jets
- Installation of energy efficient LED lights
- installation of a new mechanical exhaust system
- incorporation of energy saving features
- replacement of the fire protection system in the pool area
- replacement of tile in the pool and on the pool deck
“The (SAC pool) will meet current Americans with Disabilities Act and Barrier Free access codes,” she said. “(The renovations) will reduce maintenance cost, minimize future pool closures and provide a fresh new look for users.”
Rose Pool was scheduled to close June 30. It will now close when the SAC Pool opens. The SAC Pool renovation became a priority among other facilities management deferred maintenance projects, Shingles said.
Because the Rose Pool was built in the middle of the SAC, renovation and expansion would have been difficult and costly, Shingles said.
“The ADA requirement would have been cost-prohibitive,” Shingles said. “It was time, after 40-plus years, to really put our investment into the SAC Pool.”
