Mild winter has Aquatic Center project on schedule

The mild winter has allowed the Rice Lake Aquatics and Recreation Center project to move along on schedule since its groundbreaking late last summer.

“The project is really moving along nicely,” said Pat Blackaller, Rice Lake Aquatics and Recreation Center vice president. “We’ve had a good winter so the progress has been better than expected at least in some respects.”

The first phase of the project that is underway includes a facility with two pools. There will be a warmer temperature pool for recreation, exercise classes and therapy. The colder temperature of the water for the competition pool will be used for lap swimming, physical education classes, and the swimming and diving teams.

Most winter construction has elevated costs but because of the warmer weather that has been limited, Blackaller said.

Much of the underground work, including utilities and plumbing has been has been done, and the foundation and walls have been constructed. Blackaller said construction of the roof over the main natatorium was expected to begin soon.

A groundbreaking for the project was held in September and its timeline for completion is estimated to be in January 2025.

The second phase of the project — the Boys and Girls Clubs of Barron County clubhouse and recreation center — is still undergoing fundraising, Blackaller said. This project includes a multipurpose recreation space with a gymnasium, elevated walking track and community rooms.

That part of the project got good news in January as the city of Rice Lake and Rice Lake Area School District agreed to a transfer of the deed of the current pool to the school district. The Board of Education agreed to the land swap of the pool for a stormwater pond at the middle school at a Jan. 8 meeting, and the next day the city agreed to its side of the exchange at its council meeting.

Blackaller said the Rice Lake Aquatics and Recreation Center is in the final stages of the design of the recreation center.

“For the most part, the design of the Boys and Girls Club/gym/walking track area is probably 95% done,” he said.

One snag the two-phase project ran into has been solved, Blackaller said. A source of government funding had benchmarks to meet and it has previously required the current pool to be torn down now. Blackaller said that issue has been resolved and now the goal is for the new aquatic center to be near its opening prior to demolition of the current pool.

“They were able to work around one of the issues which allowed us to hold off on moving forward on phase II until we’re close to the pool being operational,” he said.