CFC Pool closed for six weeks

—Cresco Fitness Center resurfacing pool/spa bottoms
CRESCO - Thomson Pool at Cresco Fitness Center will be closed, starting Monday, Sept. 23, for resurfacing of the pool and spa/hot tub. In addition, the locker rooms will be updated.
CFC manager Rick McCarville explained, “It should be replastered every 10-15 years because it gets chipped. We’re at 22 years! [Pool Tech] said we are still in good shape, but it needs to be done.” 
The work will be paid for with a donation from CUSB Bank, with the remainder from Cresco’s LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) funds. Total cost is estimated to be around $60,000-75,000.
Prep work
Although the pool is closing on Sept. 23, Pool Tech will not come to Cresco until the following week. McCarville said lots of prep work will have to be done before the company can start its portion of the project.
The pool has to be drained of its 135,000 gallons of water, and all the grates have to be taken off. Assistant Manager Wendy Bohr said, “Then we have to get everything out and put plastic over the walls and doorways.”
 
Pool Tech
McCarville said, “[The Cedar Rapids company] will put new tiles in the spa and chip off one-eighth of an inch around the pool and spa.” Then it will be sprayed with plaster and troweled.” That work should be completed in 7-10 days. 
The pool needs to be filled with water within 24 hours of the final work being done, and then it needs to sit. Bohr stated, “It cures under water.”
For the next seven days, the pool and spa needs scrubbed. After that, the pool can be heated. “We don’t know how long that will take to heat it to 84-85 degrees,” McCarville said. It takes 6-7 hours to heat the spa, which is 1,500 gallons.
The rest of the time, the plastic will be taken down, and the walls will be cleaned and painted. The locker rooms will also be painted and retiled. The women’s will be done one week and the men’s the other. The two private rooms will be used during this time.
“We decided to do it during September-October because that is a slower time of the year,” McCarville said.
 
Pool is busy
The pool area and the rest of the fitness center is a busy place all-year round. From Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 2019, the pool area averaged 2,017 members per month, with the rest of the facility seeing 6,109 users per month. This does not include those who pay to use the pool and fitness area.
In the first eight months of 2019, 16,138 members used the pool. Ages 11-18 used it the most at 5,307; ages 5-10 were next at 2,745; and seniors over 65 used it 1,916 times!
Looking at the rest of the facility, ages 11-18 used it the most at 12,451; seniors used it 8,465 times; and ages 36-45 used it 5,413 times. The total members signing in was 48,875.
 
Tentatively opening 
beginning of November 
The fitness area and locker rooms will be available during the resurfacing project, with the pool expected to open at the beginning of November. Then those who enjoy the pool can again swim on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 5-8 a.m. with water aerobics from 8-9 a.m.; Tuesday/Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Monday-Friday from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, it will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sunday from 1-6 p.m.

Cresco Times

Phone: 563-547-3601
Fax: 563-547-4602

Address:
Cresco TPD
214 N. Elm Street
Cresco, IA 52136

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