GAINESVILLE - Construction on Gainesville's biggest public recreation project ever, the Frances Meadows Aquatic and Community Center, is nearing completion.
Parks and Recreation Director Melvin Cooper is optimistic about a late July opening for the $12 million facility, which includes a state of the art swimming facility with four pools and a community center next to the new Gainesville Middle School, also under construction.
"The building right now, with all the steel up, all the roof decking on and 85 percent of the walls, I would say we're 75 to 85 percent complete," said Paul Krippner, city construction administrative engineer.
Krippner added that all the swimming pools are in place. The basic concrete is installed and ready for finishing. "We're pretty far along," he said.
Once construction is finished the center must have its "shake down' period to make sure everything is working, and everyone knows what to operate and how to operate it.
"We want to make sure that all the water chemistry is correct, that everyone is trained that everything is working before you allow the public to come in," Krippner said.
"We will have a facility manager coming on board the first of May to begin to help us get things set up and scheduled," Cooper said.
A construction force of at least 100 workers are busy at the site off Jesse Jewell Parkway. Cooper said this facility, with its giant competition swimming pool and other attractions, will have regional impact.
"I know the Georgia High School Association is already talking with us about scheduling some classification swim meets at this facility," he said.
Cooper observed that people don't really have an idea of how big Frances Meadows is until you visit the site; the artist's rendering just isn't enough.
"I don't think they understood what it was going to be when they saw it on the concept," Cooper said. "When you come out here and look at it first hand you get a realization of what a nice facility this is, what a large facility this is."
With its two indoor and two outdoor pools, Frances Meadows would accommodate nearly 1,000 people a day and a built in bonus is the nearby middle school gymnasium, also available for recreation.
"We have a partnership with them and part of the new middle school will be the new gymnasium that we will have access to," Cooper said. "It will be within walking distance with a connecting sidewalk."
Cooper added, "In that partnership we want to involve their physical education classes for instruction swim programs. That's been a goal of ours, with Lake Lanier here, to make sure that all of our children in our community learn how to swim."
Cooper said Frances Meadows should live up to his vision.
"And I hope it lives up to the vision of the citizens who envisioned this back during our visioning process for our master plan," he said. "It was one of their top priorities for the community, to have a year around aquatic facility."
Thursday
June 12th, 2025
7:30AM
