CHRISTIANSBURG -- Project representatives for the new aquatics center say they are comfortable with the progress made on the building now, such as an upstairs that is virtually complete and two pools that are ready for water in upcoming weeks.

But there is a holdup that is out of their hands: the winter weather.

Officials with Lionberger Construction and Reynolds Architects told the Christiansburg Town Council on Tuesday night that crews are waiting to pour concrete for the sidewalks that access the main entrance of the building, the side of the building by the leisure pool and concrete for a sun deck.

The sidewalk to the main entrance is also needed for town staff to safely move into the upstairs, which includes administrative offices and meeting rooms.

Despite the exterior challenges, the "upper floor is essentially complete," said Sam Lionberger III, president of Lionberger Construction.

Project representatives declined to give an opening date for the center in Tuesday's meeting, but Lionberger said, "with the turning of the weather, we are very close to getting there."

The 64,000-square-foot, two-story building features a 50-meter diving pool, a leisure pool with a two-story water slide and water features, a heated therapy pool and fitness area. It will also feature space for such uses as recreational swimming and Atlantic Coast Conference and other swimming meets.

Lionberger said the goal now is to start filling the leisure and therapy pools with water in the next three to four weeks. In the competitive pool area crews are installing the steel for the mezzanine area, which will have bleachers.

He said crews will also need to close an access point in the wall near the competitive pool that has been used to bring large equipment into the center.

"We don't want to jeopardize the pool finish until the building is closed up," he said.

From there, crews can put in the plastering for the pool and then fill pool with water.

Councilman Jim Vanhoozier said Tuesday that "we all wish it was open at this point," but he understands how weather has been a factor lately with the exterior work.

Vanhoozier called the center "impressive" and said, "it's going to be a great thing for the community once it's completed."

Director of Aquatics Terry Caldwell said different swimming organizations have contacted her office and "are ready to come when we open."

Caldwell said she will not sign contracts with organizations until the facility is open, something she thinks will happen soon.

The overall project cost is $17.98 million, which includes the construction of the building, road improvements, lighting and landscaping.

In July 2007, Town Manager Lance Terpenny signed a contract with Lionberger Construction. The plan at that time was for a 2008 completion date and Terpenny said then that he thought the center could finish ahead of schedule.

Lionberger has said that site work started on the center in late 2007, but construction did not begin in full until final design drawings were received in May 2008.

Barry Helms, assistant town manager, said Wednesday that the contract was also signed before negotiations were completed with Virginia Tech. The council has a contract for Tech's use of the aquatics center.

Helms said there were design changes with the center once Tech got involved in the project, including increasing the competitive pool from 25 meters to 50 meters and adding the diving platform, bleachers and locker rooms.

According to the 25-year agreement, Christiansburg will give Tech exclusive privileges at the center, including reserved pool times for team training and rights to host swim meets. The university, in return, will pay the town $5 million -- $250,000 annually for the next 20 years.

Town and project officials have talked of an opening date for the center in spring of last year, then October, then January.

Helms said some of the opening dates that were discussed were from town council or staff. The town council also used an October opening date for budgeting purposes.

Lionberger has said project representatives did think the center could be finished by the end of October, but at the time the full scope of the timing and scoring system had not been developed. Later, the target date was set for late January.

In a council meeting in January, project representatives said then that substantial completion of the center was expected in February.

Lionberger said weather in February also made progress a challenge when the inside of the building dropped below 40 degrees, which caused holdups in finishing work, such as with the painting, tiling and flooring, in some sections of the center.