Current and possible construction is centered around the pool at Libertyville High School. Right now, the pipes near the pool doors are under construction, as they have been for the entire school year. After this project is finished, in the years to come, there is also a possibility of a new pool being built on the LHS grounds.
As months go by, still the pool doors are under construction. However, this project should be ending soon. According to an earlier update, the Buildings and Grounds Department Supervisor Chris Stancil hopes to have the project done over spring break. Originally, the project was thought to be completed in October, however, the unknown conditions of the underground lines required outside contracts and caused delays in the progress.
“We’re hoping to have the new doors installed by the pools entrance at the beginning of April,” Mr. Stancil commented more recently.
The current construction is occurring on the pipes and boiler system. Previously inconvenient, the system will be moving from underground to along the walls and roof of the building to create more access for fixes and check-ups. The doors in the pool lobby will be moving as a result.
“So if you look at the door, you can see some big pipes right in front of the door, that’s all going to be bricked up and enclosed,” Athletic Director Mr. Briant Kelly commented. “And where the window is in that pool lobby, that door would be open.”
As for a new pool, the Board of Education has authorized the district administration to look into the possibility of a new pool. While the board has yet to vote for a new pool, they also have not devoted any district resources for its construction. However, the current condition and age of the LHS pool lends itself to a higher possibility of being added to the top of the large capital projects list, according to Ms. Yasmine Dada, the associate superintendent of business for District 128.
A pool committee, consisting Ms. Dada, Mr. Kelly, Dr. Scott, Mr. Stancil, the Physical Education Department Supervisor, Ms. Patti Mascia,, the district architect, swim coaches, and a swim community member, has been meeting to discuss and look into different options for a new pool.
According to Ms. Dada, the pool advisory group’s purpose is to determine a needs-based rationale for a new pool (or not); current pool strengths and weaknesses; future projected pool needs, use, and costs; advancements in pool-building efficiencies and technology since the building of the VHHS pool; and visits to other schools in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
“The LHS pool advisory and study group is continuing their work and will be reporting out to the Board in the next few months,” she said.
The current pool at Libertyville High School is used by a variety of groups. These groups include competitive swimming, water polo, the Learn-To-Swim program, gym classes, open swim, Special Olympics, and Cats Aquatics. Different needs and uses of the pool arise from the various programs, as a result.
Not only do current needs need to be factored into the pool equation, but possible future requirements are also considered by the board, according to Mr. Kelly.
“So if you design a pool, you want to anticipate [changes] – a little, not overboard – but at the same time you want to anticipate those changes so that you’re ready for them,” he said.
However, the construction of a new pool is a lengthy progress and will take years to complete.
“There’s still a lot of initial planning that goes into it, and then you need approval from the Board of Education on the initial plans, and then you can go and make some more definite plans with the architect,” Mr. Kelly explained. “Then you go out to bid, and then you do the construction phase. Construction is a two-year process, so it just depends on how much more there is in planning.”
Along with the construction of the pool, a new aquatics building also requires mechanical systems for the pool, AC and heat systems for the building, and other factors than just the pool itself.
“It is important to note, if the Board approves any large capital project, such as a new LHS pool, the resources to pay for any or all of those large capital projects will come from existing district resources and not from new tax dollars,” Ms, Dada stated. “In other words, the Board will not vote to raise resident taxes (through Bond Referendum) for the purpose of paying for identified large capital projects, including a new LHS pool. The Board will continue its financial analysis over the next several months.”
In addition, the school would hope to connect the new pool building to the main building of LHS. The construction could possibly go near the back parking lot, where the road wraps around the school, though the plans have not been set in stone.
“You want to connect it to the building because it’s used during the day for PE and you don’t want people going outside,” Mr. Kelly explained. “So you know the building, you’d need to put it into a space where you would need to reconfigure some parking, some entrances, some road and stuff like that. so there’s a lot of stuff that we’re looking at, but our hopes is to be able to do something like that.”
“It’s a long construction, it’s a long process,” he concluded.
