The Homewood-Flossmoor High School pool construction project is on track. The schedule is to have the pool ready by late September. Work on the additional storage and classroom space will continue through October.
Homewood-Flossmoor High School pool. The left
side is the original ceiling that still needs cleaning
and painting. The right side shows added sound
baffles and support beams that have been
painted red. (Photos by Marilyn Thomas/H-F
Chronicle)
The Homewood-Flossmoor High School pool construction project is on track.
The updating includes:
- Re-grouting the pool area
- Improvements to the exhaust and lighting systems
- A new sound system
- New bleachers
- Replacement of student lockers in the changing areas
- Updating the bathrooms
- Building a classroom
- Constructing two storage areas
No major improvements have been done to the pool since it opened in 1992, said Tom Wagner, director of operations and maintenance. The general contractor on the $3.65 million project is Chicago Heights Construction. District 233 had money in its reserve fund to cover the renovations.
“I think everyone will be impressed when it’s done,” he said. The schedule is to have the pool ready by late September. It will take three days to fill the pool using water from hydrants. Wagner said chemical treatments of the water will take an additional two days. The pool is four-feet deep on the shallow end and 14-feet deep on the end with the high dive and two low dive boards.
Work on the additional storage and classroom space will continue through October.
Halfway through the project, the shallow end of the pool has been re-grouted and some re-grouting work has started in the deeper end.
Lights illuminating the pool from inside the side walls have been removed. Wagner said those lights were a design flaw. New lighting in the pool area will be sufficient to light the pool.
Major work is being done on the exhaust system ductwork to “increase the amount of air flow” and the air circulation compressors are being replaced in the boiler room.
New lockers are being installed in the boys and girls locker rooms. The balcony seating for spectators has been concrete covered by carpeting. Wagner said because of the chlorine and acids in the air the carpeting was being replaced every four years. The plan is to install regular bleacher seating.
The facility is getting a major cleaning. All the support beams are being sanded and repainted red, which ties in to the red and white H-F Vikings school colors.
“We decided to put a little accent in here,” Wagner explained. “The (sound) baffles are white. I think it’s going to be extremely attractive when it’s done,” and the color accent emphasizes the size of pool area as “really big and really deep.”
The roof over the pool is metal “so the sound just bounces through the space,” he said. Sound baffles are being installed between the ceiling beams to give a more consistent sound. The pool area is also getting a new public address system.
A new flat nonskid surface is being laid over the tile floor that surrounds the pool.
Wagner said the pool is one area of the school that is busy from 5:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. on school days; 6 or 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturdays; and four hours in the afternoon on Sundays.
“It’s used constantly. It’s one area that never shuts down,” he added.
reach ceiling beams that are being painted.