The scheduled opening date of, "sometime next summer" is still a possibility for Canyon's new aquatic center.

The Canyon city commission has finally accepted a bid from a contractor to build the facility.  Voters in November approved a bond issue for the aquatic center for $6 million dollars.  Unfortunately every bid in the first round of bidding exceeded that amount.

A month later and the lowest bid was still in excess of the amount approved by voters but the city awarded the contract anyway with hopes of keeping the project on schedule.  The approved bid, and the lowest, came in at $6,037,777.  After budgeting for landscaping and maintenance the estimated cost of the facility is around $6,250,000.

That's counting the items the city staff cut out of the original design plan where hundreds of thousands of dollars were saved.  According to representatives of the commission these cuts included eliminating fake stone wall coverings, extra locker space, and an elaborate entryway.

The City of Canyon has pledged up to $250,000 to fund what the bond will not.  The staff also plans to seek out private donors to sponsor individual parts of the park, like slides and swimming areas.

 

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