The repair of the outdoor area of the swimming hall in Ústí has begun

Ústí nad Labem - In Ústí nad Labem, the construction of the outdoor area of the swimming hall began today with the laying of the foundation stone. The new swimming pool and children's pool with attractions and the renovated surrounding areas will be available to the public in the 2020 season. The city's largest investment in recent years, amounting to almost 109 million crowns including VAT, is being financed from its own budget.

The swimming area in the Klíše district was last open in 2014. It then closed for the reconstruction of the adjoining swimming hall and has not reopened since. The pools are in a state of disrepair, the swimming pool was leaking water, and according to Mayor Petr Nedvědický (ANO), the overall concept of the complex has long been inadequate.

The new pools will include various attractions chosen by the residents of Ústí through a survey. They opted for a wide slide instead of a toboggan, there will be a relaxation area in the water, and in the middle of the paddling pool, there will be a climbing ship with slides.

The builders will start work by demolishing the existing pool and excavating for sewage, electricity, and water. After that, it will depend on the weather. "If there are major frosts, we cannot start the earthworks, but I believe that within fourteen days we will start on that as well," said site manager Petr Plachý from Metrostav, the contractor for the project. Everything must be completed by the end of March next year.

According to Plachý, stainless steel tubs could be installed by the end of this year. The pools will remain approximately in the same location as they are now, only they will be expanded. The area between them will be newly modified to create sunny terraces.

The city warned residents that parking near the hall could be limited due to the construction. However, according to Plachý, the construction site's operations will not affect traffic in the surrounding area. There could be more parking spaces by the hall in the future thanks to a private investment near the swimming complex.

According to the original estimates, the renovation of the pool was supposed to cost around 50 million crowns, but it has ultimately become more than double that. The mayor told ČTK that this is no longer about a renovation but about the placement of completely new pools. The start date of the construction has been delayed by about a year due to problems with the designer.

Residents of Ústí have access to a thermal swimming pool in the Brná district over the summer. According to the mayor, the city does not plan any investments there for now. "I believe that Brná will come to the forefront in the next election period," said Nedvědický, who hopes that people from Ústí and also from the surrounding areas will come to swim in Klíše. Besides Brná, they can use the Milada lake, flooded pits from mining, or the Elbe River over the summer.