Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Walls are Going Up!!!











This post is a tad outdated, as I have info from this week that the last wall to enclose the building is near completion!!!! It looks like a building now!!!

These pictures are of the North wall, taken about a week ago. Following completion of the walls, the roofing work will begin - funny thing about that....they need A MONTH WITHOUT WIND in April/May in North Dakota to complete the roofing. HA! Better be making a pretty good deal with Mother Nature for that to happen!!!

I foresee a few windy days over the next month - so in about 6 weeks the HVAC (ventilation and ductwork) should begin - which is estimated at about 2 weeks worth of work. Following that, the actually digging of the pool (yay pool builders!) is slated to begin. I, for one, am really excited to see the size of this thing as it takes shape!

Next post: the financial impact of competitive swimming (not to mention diving and multi-sport events this facility will make possible - think olympic proportions :) ) - Just how much money will one great big meet bring to the Bismarck economy???

Friday, April 10, 2009

Got sand????




So, if a city were to have upwards of a million sandbags, and those sandbags were ready to come down, and needed a place to empty them...and a Park District construction project needed a LOT of sand for foundation and fill work - what is the logical connection???

DUMP THE SANDBAGS AT THE AQUATIC CENTER BUILDING SITE!!!! (What a great idea - I wonder who came up with that?!?!)

Yes, there is an official dumpsite for sand, and garbage/recycle bin for the bags located just east of the Aquatic Center building site - to find it, refer to my first post, or head South down Schafer St., take a right into the parking lot after the High Prairie Arts and Science Center - the "SAND HERE" sign is in the NW corner of the parking lot.

See http://bismarck.org/city_departments/department/news_detail.asp?dID=4&ID=1212 for the official story from Mayor Warford and the Bismarck city folk.

Enjoy!!!
Next post: the walls are going up!!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Back 2 Business...or Let's Get Physical!!!

Well, the flood danger in Bismarck has passed, and it is looking less and less like we will have flood of Fargo refugees - so let's get back to business: The Aquatics/Wellness Center!!!

Question of the week (from weeks ago) was: What exactly will be IN this building we're building?

Answer #3: A Wellness Center!
Upstairs, just above the lobby area, will be over 6000 sq feet of exercise room!!! Included will be cardio and weight equipment, as well as an Aerobics/Dance studio. The plan is to have top-of-the-line cardio equipment (TBD as to whether they will have TV's/iPod docks), free weights and machines. The Aerobics studio will host group exercise classes, and a little birdie tells me they are looking into some family activities for the space - such as Mommy and Me classes.

Sound exciting? I think so! Just another option to add to the array of workout opportunities in town - but rather conveniently located so mom and dad can raise their heart rates while the kiddos have swimming lessons or practice with the swim team!

As an integral part of the BSC campus as well, this will also fill a void for BSC students who have long been wanting a wellness center on campus. So, yes, this will be a shared facility, but one that benefits both our current community as well as the future of Bismarck (i.e. BSC college-age students, studying hard to potentially become productive Bismarck citizens!).

I, for one, am excited about the possibility of Mommy/Me classes - but also for the many health-enhancing activities there will be available in the new facility. Healthy community residents are an integral part of the community's future: healthy citizens = happy citizens = more productive community!