County Approves $21.8M Contract for Aquatic Center Fix

Nassau County officials have decided to move forward with the $21.8 million contract with E&A Restoration of Syosset for fixes inside of the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, according to Newsday.

The County has also been authorized to borrow the funds needed to pay for the project, officials said.

The closure was to range from July 5, 2011 until the first quarter of 2012, but it was pushed back to spring 2012.

“After listening to our swimmers and high school swimming coaches, and hearing about the impact the closure of the Aquatic Center would have on their activities, I directed the Parks Department to select a time period for renovation that will be less disruptive,” County Executive Ed Mangano said. “This is a decision taken only after consulting with our engineers to ensure there are no safety issues involved in delaying the work.”

The center, which is used for competitive swim meets, high school practices, competitions and casual swimming, has suffered some wear and tear over the 13 years since its construction for the Goodwill Games in 1998.

The county has stated that some of the original work on the facility was “substandard,” specifically the HVAC system, and they are going to be “pursuing litigation against some of the contractors and the state to recover costs related to the original work.” New York State supervised the initial construction of the aquatic center in the late 90's.

The repairs to the facility will focus on installing a new HVAC system inside the pool area, upgrading the pool’s filters, removing and replacing the roof on the building and updating the pool’s lighting, according to county officials.

The pool is scheduled to be closed from Feb. 15 through Oct. 30, 2012, when the project is expected to be substantially completed, officials told Newsday.

All of the fixes are expected to be completed by the end of February 2013, a spokeswoman for County Executive Edward Mangano said.

When the Aquatic Center is closed for renovation, the county will open two heated pools at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn-North Hills and Cantiague Park in Hicksville.