| Lerone Graham

lerone.graham@roanoke.com, 381-8621

With Christiansburg's aquatics center off track for its anticipated spring launch, Town Manager Lance Terpenny said some design changes may have contributed to the delay.

During an April 17 budget work session, Christiansburg Town Council members agreed to use Oct. 1 as an opening date for the facility so they could better plan the upcoming fiscal year.

Terpenny said last week that although he knows it was necessary for the council to pinpoint a date for budgeting purposes, he doesn't yet know when the facility will open.

"I don't know where that date came from," Terpenny said.

Last summer, the town expected the aquatics center to open Jan. 1. But when fall rolled around, a late spring launch began to appear more realistic.

Terpenny said the two companies building the project, Reynolds Architects and Lionberger Construction, now have been asked to meet and come up with their best estimate for the center to open.

Though Terpenny said he has not yet heard back from the companies, the president of Lionberger Construction said he is confident about the Oct. 1 target.

"The current goal of Oct. 1 can certainly be accomplished, and all efforts are being focused in that regard," said Sam Lionberger III.

Currently, all three pools have been installed, and the locker rooms and wet classroom spaces are being completed, Lionberger said. Windows are currently being set in place, and construction of the bleacher areas will be starting shortly, as will construction of the second floor administrative areas, he said.

In a portion of the facility where there was originally 20 feet of open vertical space, the town decided to construct a small mezzanine for maintenance and janitorial staff to use as their office, he said.

Terpenny said it will serve as "home base" for the staff, complete with lockers and places to store tools.

Such a change may not seem like much, Terpenny said, but can delay construction plans. He also said it will benefit the center in the long run.

"It gets us more usable space and it doesn't cost us anything more," Terpenny said.

In addition to the mezzanine, Lionberger said the addition of a diving tower has slowed progress because it was not included in the original proposal. This addition made it necessary to conduct changes in the pool design, building dimensions and foundation requirements, he said.

Lionberger said these changes will make for a better facility at no additional cost to taxpayers.

Lionberger said the work force has varied throughout the different stages of construction, but said there have been as many as 45 people on the project at any one time.

The town reports that of the $14.4 million budgeted to construct the center, $8.6 million has been spent.

The delay in opening the center forced the New River Valley Triathlon, an event that was scheduled to use the center's pool for the swimming leg of the event, to be postponed. The triathlon was originally set for July 12, was then pushed back to Oct. 11 and was then pushed back again last week to next summer.

Anne Clelland, the event coordinator, said she is still excited about the event, despite delays.

"2009 would be a lovely year to hold the only sprint triathlon in Southwest Virginia. 2010 will be a lovely year to do the same," she said.

Clelland said 79 people from five states have signed up so far. She hasn't gotten any negative reaction from those who already signed up -- they were glad the delay gives them more time to train, she said.

Director of Aquatics Terry Caldwell said her time is now being spent creating job descriptions for every position in the facility.

"It's kind of interesting because I want to structure the job description to be detailed and get exactly what I'm looking for," she said.

Caldwell said she is beginning with the coordinator positions, which she hopes to begin advertising in June.