Monthly cost of Aquatics Centre close to $100,000

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The monthly cost of running the Aquatics Centre could be about $98,000, stakeholders taking a tour of the facility were told on Wednesday night.

Bernie Asbell, the Canadian consultant hired by Government as interim National Sports Centre CEO, said the estimated $20 million facility would be costly to manage, particularly heating the pool when full with 880,000 gallons of water during the winter months.

Asbell was speaking during the open house for the facility when about 70 people were given a tour of the nearly completed 50-metre pool.

The substation structure is expected to be completed by the end of December, with BELCO to begin the electrical installations in January and completed in time for an April opening of the Aquatics Centre. The first international event at the pool will be next July’s NatWest Island Games.

However, as NSC Board of trustees chairman, Sean Tucker, has already stressed, the facility will be used for more than competitive swimming and diving, with schools and health groups all able to utilise the Centre.

“There were a few people who said ‘ah, I would have liked if it was a little different, purpose-built for my particular sport’, but the facility was really designed to accommodate multiple needs and multiple users,” said Asbell who is on a two-year contract while a suitable Bermudian is trained to take over.

“The pool has been lasered to make sure it meets FINA standards of 50 metres.”

The eight-lane pool will have depths ranging from just over four feet to 16½ feet at the deepest end which will be used for diving and will also be the start and finish end for swim races.

There are also plans in phase two to built a six-lane, 25-metre warm up pool on the site while there is room for 274 spectators on the southern end and space for additional seating on the opposite (northern field) side of the pool.

Floodlights have also already been installed while changing rooms will accommodate 148 lockers in both the men’s and women’s rooms.

“In terms of the swim facility, one of the key questions I heard tonight was the idea of a uniform depth versus a deep pool,” said Asbell. “Most pools in the world are a multiple series of depths to accommodate multiple needs. This pool will be able to accommodate swim lessons, swim practice and water polo, whereas a pool of a uniform depth that is not deep enough can’t attract water polo, diving or sycronized swimming, an elimination of three sports.

”Ideally we should never have to dump that water for quite a number of years. We just have to maintain the water with good chemistry and that’s why we’re going to train people to manage the water. I’m excited, a community of 70,000 people having an asset of this nature. I think people are going to be happy. That’s why we invited Sandys 360, they’ve got an indoor pool, are important to the swim community in Bermuda and we want to work with them.”

One Bermuda Alliance candidate for Devonshire North Central, Anthony Francis, questioned the cost of building and running the Centre, which came following a Government press conference held at the Aquatics Centre on November 27 when Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney spoke of the Aquatics Centre “becoming a major hub for community-based aquatic activities including recreational swimming for youth, seniors, schoolchildren and other members of our community.”

Francis has also questioned why a foreign consultant was hired over a qualified Bermudian.

Said Tucker: “Bernie knows he is only here for a limited period to identify and train somebody to run this facility for us. That’s been critical from the very beginning.”

“We interviewed tons of people and that’s how we got Victor Ruberry (former national team swimmer) who is acting as a consultant in getting us up and running. He’s doing a lot of the leg work. He knows the lay of the land and that’s a big help.”

It is anticipated the new Aquatics Centre will create several jobs once the pool is completed.

“You will need lifeguards, maintenance people, people to test the water every hour,” said Tucker.

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