Construction is set to kick off on September 1 on the Bozeman Swim Center after being closed for months.
Many in the community say they are excited not to be doing laps around southwest Montana trying to find a place to swim.
“We had to get the wet suits out early and go swim in the pond; often we were driving to Butte to go swim,” says Bozeman Resident and Triathlete, John Kaiser.
Bozeman City Manager Jeff Mihelich announced Tuesday night that repairs will be done in three phases.
The first phase will tackle the emergency repairs on the trusses. The work will last about four weeks and they expect to have the swim center back open by October 1.
The emergency repairs are expected to cost $1.5 million. Mihelich recommended that the city use ARPA funds to pay for the emergency repairs.
Phase two will be done in the summer of 2023 focusing on the inside of the building.
Phase 3 will tackle the work voters approved in November 2021, which will be done in the summer of 2024.
Since the closure, Kaiser has been attending commission meetings and waiting for answers from the city. Kaiser says that the swim center closing has helped him make a splash in the community.
“I want to make sure that I voiced that I hope that members of the community appreciate that if at all it’s been effective, I just think it’s what was on my heart to talk about,” says Kaiser.
He says he was shocked by the price tag but says that he knows work will be done well so he can get back in the water.
“You can’t get the consistency and the workouts with swimming especially,” says Kaiser. “Just looking forward to being back in that swim center.”
The city says that Mihelich will provide updates at city commission meetings on Tuesday nights and on their website.
