Update on Hope Aquatic Center

HOPE – With the start of July, we decided to visit the construction site of the Hope Aquatic and Recreation Center at the intersection of 16th and Springhill Road to receive an update on the project. To find out, we talked to Site Superintendent Bill Stone and Project Administrator Witt Addington working with Ideal Construction Company who graciously provided us with key details.

To begin the project, the team first had to clear the 5.7 acre site of trees and then continued on by determining the building site layout.

The current phase, which is phase two, is the mass undercut and fill process. This step of the operation is in place to prevent cracking in the building. To achieve this, the construction crew is working to replace the old soil with stable soil, with the eventual addition of drilling 30-foot piers around the perimeter, around the footings, and under the pool area.

At the moment of our interview, a digger and a bulldozer were working in the giant hole on the property, the beginnings of the structure for the center’s gymnasium.

After the team completes the current phase of digging and refilling with better soil for the gymnasium, the next step will be to work on the streets and to drill the ground piers for stability. They will also then begin to dig to start on the swimming pools.

After the interview, the two men kindly led us out to the construction site to check out the work and to take a few pictures. To learn more about the future of this project, an animated guided tour is available on YouTube titled, “Hope Arkansas Aquatic Center 3D Layout” from the City of Hope Arkansas YouTube channel.

We will check in with the construction team in a couple of months to inquire about another update on the project.