FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prince George, B.C. – The Aquatic Centre renovation project is progressing, and City of Prince George staff will present a project update at the April 27 council meeting, highlighting the work done to date.
Since the fall of 2025, staff have had to pivot plans and adjust priorities due to the size and complexity of the project. This is common for large capital projects, where flexibility is key as new findings can often lead to incremental adjustments throughout the project timeline.
An overview of this component of the project so far is as follows:
- The City signed a contract with the construction manager (CM) in October 2025.
- The CM immediately performed a constructability review of the plans and specifications as well as destructive testing inside and outside of the building. This type of testing could not be thoroughly completed far in advance of the construction phases as it would have resulted in operational issues while the pool continued to be in full use.
- Destructive testing resulted in additional findings that showed further issues not visible from the surface (e.g., water damage, corrosion, mold) that needed to be added and/or clarified to the drawings and specifications.
- The CM performed a preliminary cost estimate to ensure previous estimates were up to date, which resulted in a new estimate that exceeded the City’s budget allowance.
- As the City was unwilling to allow the project to exceed the approved budget, a significant value-engineering effort was put forth, which delayed the release of the construction tender as the updated value engineering items required the consultant to revise plans and specifications.
- Tender documents were provided to the CM and 26 different bid packages were released for tender in January.
- The City signed contracts for construction activities in March.
Once the building closed to the public in January, a significant effort was required to empty the building of all furniture, aquatics equipment, and maintenance materials. The pool water was also super-chlorinated and allowed to run through the pipes, pumps, and surge tanks prior to draining, which took approximately three weeks. This entire clean out, packing, and relocation phase took about three months to complete.
To date, the following construction and demolition activities have taken place:
- Interior finishes demolition including reception area fixtures, tile and carpet, washroom and changeroom fixtures, etc.
- Mechanical and electrical equipment demolition, removal, and disconnection
- Construction site and safety measures including safety barricades, storage setup, and shoring design work
Although the tender process was delayed, the project currently remains on schedule and under budget due to the City’s methodical approach during the value-engineering phase.
More information about the project is available on the project page on the City’s website.
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Media contact:
Kendall Robertson, senior communications advisor
Mobile: 778-349-5393
Email: media@princegeorge.ca