A key subcontractor helping build the Park City Recreation Center abandoned the job earlier in February, City Hall officials have acknowledged, indicating that the loss does not jeopardize the construction schedule.
Matt Twombly, one of the staffers overseeing the work, said the subcontractor was responsible for putting up the steel for the Recreation Center. The subcontractor was not identified. The firm quit the job on Feb.10, according to Twombly.
The subcontractor had overextended itself with construction projects in the Salt Lake Valley, said Steve Brown, a City Hall-hired consultant helping manage the project. Neither Brown nor Twombly provided details about the work in the Salt Lake Valley that prompted the subcontractor to leave the Park City job.
Twombly said another firm was hired within a few days to put up the steel. He said a little less than half of the steel skeleton that will hold the building up has been put in place.
Brown said he does not expect issues with the other subcontractors hired for the Recreation Center work.
The loss of the subcontractor was mentioned during a recent update provided to Mayor Dana Williams and the Park City Council. The crews are amid a major reconstruction at the site of what had been the Racquet Club. Most of the old building was demolished and the workers are putting up the Recreation Center in its place.
The officials said the construction schedule remains intact even after the loss of the subcontractor. The work is expected to be completed in November, with Twombly saying the finish date is scheduled Nov. 2. Most of the building is expected to be closed in from the weather by June 8.
“As long as we have a nice early spring, then we can go quickly,” Twombly said.
Twombly and Brown told the elected officials the construction crews faced the recent snows, cold weather and high winds, with Brown saying the weather has been fickle.
Twombly outlined a projected construction timeline in a report to the elected officials. Some of the key dates on the timeline include:
The report indicated the construction schedule will likely cause the pools to remain closed this summer. If they are reopened in the summer, the date might fall in August, the report said. City Hall staffers are talking with the Park City School District and private-sector athletic facilities in an attempt to provide access to pools this summer, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Twombly revealed in his report there have been questions raised about the height of the steel skeleton and the height of the foundation. The heights were found to align with the blueprints, however, he said in the report.
The project will be one of the most expensive construction jobs City Hall has undertaken, with the work and other costs like architect fees and a rental agreement to make workout space available elsewhere anticipated to be priced at approximately $10 million.
The recreation center will replace the aging Racquet Club, with nearly all of the old building demolished at the start of the work. The new facility will incorporate numerous upgrades in equipment and have many environmental features. Some of the athletic upgrades will include a walking and jogging track, an expanded fitness room, a bouldering area and a party room.
The building will also be constructed so it can act as an emergency shelter in the event of a natural disaster.