The City of Prince George expects the new pool downtown to see double the usage of the Four Seasons Pool, once construction in complete in the summer of 2022.
The City of Prince George unveiled the design for the new pool to the media on Thursday morning. In addition, the city is holding a pair of public information sessions from noon to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m to 7 p.m. at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre on Thursday.
"We get about 140,000 visitors per year (at the Four Seasons Pool). We expect the amount of visitors is going to double," city aquatics manager Jim Worthington said. "When you have an accessible pool with all the pool amenities or features the community is looking for, it's going to get a lot more use."
Construction on the new pool is expected to break ground this spring, and the Four Seasons Pool will remain open until the new pool is complete.
The city contracted HDR Architecture Associates Inc. to complete the interior and exterior layout of the new facility.
HDR vice president Mark Hentze said the new pool's "tilted box" design is intended to complement the development happening downtown.
The sloped roof allows for the height to accommodate the waterslide in the southeast end of the building, will direct water and snow run-off to a "rain garden" on Seventh Avenue and give the pool "a bit of an evocative shape," Hentze said.
In addition the exterior will feature large windows so people walking on the street can see inside, giving the sense of a public space, he added.
The pool will feature a six-lane, 25-metre main lap pool; a four-lane, 25-metre, shallow, warmer teaching pool; a leisure pool with a lazy river, shallow beach-style entry and play features; a large waterslide; and a two-level hot tub.
Each of the pools will feature a shallow entry and "pool pod" lift to allow people with reduced mobility greater access.
A substantial amount of consultation was done to ensure the pool offers accessibility for as many users as possible, Hentze said, including three barrier-free shower rooms with ceiling lifts.
The majority of the changing area will be a universal, family change room space, with smaller dedicated men's and women's change rooms, he added.
In addition to having onsite parking, the Four Seasons Pool parking lot will remain open for pool users.
Photos and virtual reality tours of the facility are available online at www.princegeorge.ca/newpool.
