New downtown pool begins to take shape…

PRINCE GEORGE, BC: Starting today, local construction watchers will see the City of Prince George’s new downtown pool begin to take shape and rise into the air. This morning, crews began installing large steel beams near Dominion Street and between 7th and 6th Avenues.

Roughly three to four dozen steel columns, some as long as 15 metres, will be erected at the site in the months to come. This phase of the operation will involve the construction of the pool’s mechanical rooms and penthouse level, as well as the change rooms.

This activity represents the start of the next phase of construction of the new facility, which will replace the Four Seasons Leisure Pool, located across 7th Avenue from the construction site.

The City anticipates that this period of the project will continue into the spring of 2021. Following this stage, construction of the building envelope will begin.

Last month, crews with Chandos Construction finished the facility’s concrete building foundation, which was the first phase of the construction operation.

On-going traffic disruption to accommodate construction

Due to the continuing construction activity near 7th Avenue and Dominion Street, the traffic signals at the intersection will remain set to flashing red lights until later in the winter and the intersection will continue functioning as a four-way stop. Traffic around this intersection is expected to experience varying levels of disruption to accommodate the construction on this important project until later in the winter.

At various times, sections of Dominion Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue, and parts of 7th Avenue between Dominion and Quebec Street will need to be closed and reduced to two-lane traffic in both directions.

For further information about Prince George’s new downtown pool, please visit http://www.princegeorge.ca/newpool. The web page provides architectural renderings of the pool design, interior floor plans and features, and information related to the 2017 referendum, during which residents of the City voted 62.5% in favour of building the new pool.

Written and released by City of Prince George