Community pool project manager George Sanen, along with other principals involved in the project, told City Councilmembers on Monday night that they were aiming for June 2 to have the project “substantially complete” but that rain could derail the timeline. Final completion — when the pool opens for use — could happen a month after that if all goes to plan.
The city said that as of Feb. 28, construction is estimated at 86% complete, and cited several periods of heavy rain throughout the winter that affected site conditions. As of this week, the site is now dry enough for work on the activity pool to proceed. Soil removal has begun, and mass excavation for the activity pool is currently scheduled to start on March 3. Sanen said interior work is expected to be completed by the end of March.
Once the activity pool is complete and both pools are filled with water, the project will enter a phase known as “commissioning,” when the complex mechanical, electrical, and building management systems that control the facility are tested to ensure they are working together and as designed. Sanen told the Council that they are expecting that process to take about four weeks.
Councilmembers took turns drilling into the construction timeline and sought to understand if there were any other challenges ahead that could derail the last push to completion. The main unknown ahead, the team agreed, was limited to the weather. Additional “weather days” will impede work on the activity pool site and push back the opening date, the team said, as there are no more “float” days worked into the schedule. (More rain days does not mean more expense for the city, Griffin Structure’s President Jon Hughes clarified, only delays.)
Since the last Piedmont Community Pool project update in December 2024, the following tasks have been completed:
• Insulation, drywall, tile in building exterior installed
• Acoustical ceilings installed in rooms 103, 104, and 105
• All interior walls and ceilings painted
• Score board columns set
• EBMUD water service installed
• Exterior cladding installed
• Swimming pool tile installed
• Onsite ramp and pathway work began
• Firewater and domestic water pipelines fully installed
• HVAC completed
• Lower pool storage posts set
• Solar panel installed
• Activity Pool mass excavation began
In the month of March, the following tasks are anticipated to be underway:
• Excavation of activity pool
• Offsite sidewalk and curb and gutter
• Building exterior finishes
• Completion of bioswale area
• Completion of all ceilings
• Sealing, carpeting and tiling of all floors
• Completion of pool concrete apron
• Completion of bleachers
• Cupa Clad of all facades
• Installation of bathroom fixtures, partitions and lockers
• Installation of roof terrace pavers
The city and construction team said that several significant tasks are scheduled for April and beyond. These include installation of sidewalk, curb, roadway resurfacing, landscaping, fencing and gates, concrete and tiling of the activity pool, grouting and plaster of both pools, pool mechanical equipment, installation of scoreboard and lighting, pool filling, and commissioning.
Sanen said PG&E was coming back at the end of the month to lower a gas line that was discovered under Magnolia Avenue in August 2024. Once that has been taken care of, the roadway work can get underway.
The city said that approximately $1,620,000 of authorized contingency remains. Contingency funds have been used as part of approved change order requests to address various unforeseen conditions, as well as clarification of design issues. The project continues to be within the revised budget.