PORT ANGELES — The William Shore Memorial Pool District has selected Sequim contractor Neeley Construction as the general contractor and construction manager for its upcoming $13 million pool expansion.
It was through a competitive bid process that was the first of its kind in Clallam County, said Steve Burke, executive director of the pool. It included the contractor in the design process.
The pool district is including Neeley Construction during the design phase of the project in hopes of preventing change orders after the contractor breaks ground.
“They are part of the team to determine the best way to build it,” Burke said.
“That way, when you actually start construction, you don’t have to have all of the change orders because of things that weren’t anticipated.”
Local contractors
Burke said this process allowed the pool district to rate local contractors higher in the bidding process and that the pool district wasn’t required to choose the lowest bidder.
He said Neeley Construction was rated higher than the two other contractors that submitted proposals in part because the company is local, but it also was the lowest bidder.
Burke said the pool district can now work with the contractor on bid packages to tailor them to allow for more local sub-contractors.
“We’re trying to keep the people in Clallam County working and employed in our community and we want the money to stay in our community instead of going to the I-5 Corridor,” he said.
Burke said the pool expansion is still set to break ground in March and that permitting will start this winter. The new pool will have a children’s splash and play area, new locker rooms, a warm-water therapy pool and other amenities.
Making room
Within the next couple months the pool expects to move Peninsula Behavior Health’s Horizon Center to a lot on Eighth Street, making room for the expansion.
Voters overwhelmingly supported William Shore Memorial Pool District’s measure to expand its bond capacity during the November election.
The debt load increase, which expanded the district’s debt capacity by $3.5 million up to $10 million, gave the green light to a long-planned, 10,000-square-foot expansion and remodeling of the pool.
Burke said the pool will begin issuing bonds today. The pool district earned an A+ bond rating from Standard and Poor’s.
Anyone interested in purchasing bonds can contact D.A. Davidson & Co. at 360-565-7500.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
