Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times

Construction on the Christiansburg Aquatic Center is behind schedule, and there is still no opening date set.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Town officials have big expectations for the new aquatics center, which is why they are more than ready to see it open soon.

But there is still no opening date set for the center, which was originally planned to open December 2008 or earlier.

Officials should have a better idea Tuesday, when project representatives will give the town council an update during the council meeting.

In an April budget work session, council members used Oct. 1 as an opening date for the facility for budgeting purposes.

However, Town Manager Lance Terpenny said construction is still ongoing and the center will not meet that targeted Oct. 1 opening.

"I don't know what the date is right now, but it's not going to be Oct. 1," Terpenny said Thursday.

The two-story, 52,000-square-foot center will house three pools and will feature space for such uses as recreational swimming and Atlantic Coast Conference and other swimming meets.

Lionberger Construction and Reynolds Architects have been responsible for the project, and the construction contract for the center is $14.78 million. The groundbreaking was in 2007.

Terpenny said some of the delay can be attributed to design changes and the supply of the materials needed for an indoor aquatics center.

"Part of the delay has been the suppliers are not manufacturing a lot of the materials until there is a deposit on it," he said. "They wait until they get a contract to manufacture a piece."

Also, there have been some design changes. For example, Terpenny said once the project construction started there was a need to set aside space for the maintenance staff at the center.

"Now, they'll have that room," he said. "It cost a little time but no more money."

Despite the wait, "the community is going to get a better deal for their buck," Terpenny said. "It's just taken a little more time."

Even though the facility is not open now, employees for the center have started to come on board.

Allison Zuchowski will serve as the new aquatics services manager, a position with a salary of $47,998.

Zuchowski said she is excited about the new center and thinks it will be a great asset for the community.

"This is a great opportunity right in my back yard," she said.

Shawn Worthley, who has been hired as the facility coordinator, adds that the center "will also help the economy here in this area," such as with the visitors who come in for the swim meets. Worthley's position has a salary of $34,981.

Director of Aquatics Terry Caldwell said interviews will start next week for the aquatics competitive coordinator, who will be responsible for daily operation of the 50-meter competitive pool and 10-meter diving platform area, meet setup and organization, according to the job description.

The starting salary for the position is $34,981.

There will be close to 56 part-time and full-time jobs for the new center, and the positions include lifeguards and swim instructors, Caldwell said.

Caldwell said she is eager to see the opening of the center and the effects it will have on the region.

"I really don't believe that people realize what this facility will bring to the town of Christiansburg," she said. "A major goal for the aquatic staff is to produce a facility that will be No. 1 on the East Coast."