The plans to redesign the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo, Calif., are moving forward again, thanks to a new approval by the City Council this week.
Though the Council voted 4-1 on June 1 to approve a $6.4 million renovation of the historic facility, Mayor Cathy Schlicht voiced concerns that the bid process was not thorough and called for the Council to revisit the matter. Schlicht was the lone dissenting vote on June 1.
Aquatic Design Group was the original bid winner for the redesign, and the company will still be in charge of the renovation. On Monday evening, the City Council unanimously approved a price tag of $598,500 for the design contract. Before voting, Schlicht mentioned a firm that could work on the project for a smaller fee, though it seemed to make no impact on the outcome.
The facility’s famed diving tower, where Olympic legend Greg Louganis and others trained, will be modernized, as will the 50-meter competition pool. Aquatic Design will also be responsible for the landscaping and surrounding buildings on the grounds.
The redesign is still scheduled to begin in August 2016, and will take almost a year to complete.
Jim Montrella, a legendary coach for Team USA in the 1970s, was the only member of the community to speak in favor of Aquatic Design Group at the meeting, saying, “They’ve proven themselves nationwide and worldwide, … and they certainly are familiar with our complex.”
“You have done a phenomenal job,” Councilwoman Wendy Bucknum told the staff from Aquatic Design Group. “We are in very good hands. I feel very confident.”
The one sticking point in the bid was the 15 percent markup that the City of Mission Viejo would have to pay Aquatic Design Group for reimbursable expenses. The Council asked the committee to look at that part of the bid and see if it is a necessary part of the project.
Press release from Mission Viejo Nadadores:
Thank you to everyone who attended the Mission Viejo City Council meeting Monday night. Your support is greatly appreciated. During the Council discussion, Mayor Schlicht presented a bid that she had procured, and submitted that bid to be part of the public record. However, the City Council voted to award the design contract for the Marguerite Aquatics Complex to Aquatic Design Group (ADG) in a 5-0 vote.
ADG has designed many high-quality aquatic facilities across the country including the pool that hosted the 2004 Olympic Swimming Trials in Long Beach and the William Woollett, Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine. Additionally, ADG has spent a significant amount of time studying the Marguerite Aquatics Complex and has a thorough understanding of the needs of the facility.
The contract was awarded for 13 months, which was a discussion item among some of the Council members. According to Assistant City Manager, Keith Rattay, this is not because it will take that long for AGD to design the facility renovations, but because construction is not scheduled to begin until September 2016. This move will allow ADG to remain as an active vendor in the City’s business systems and allow for more expedited processing of invoices should there be any changes to the design prior to the start of construction.
Video of City Council meeting – discussion of Aquatic Complex begins at 3:42.00
The effiet snobs of this swim team duplicity knows no bounds. Use of ark fees for this exclusive entity is nothing more than theft !