(The Center Square) – Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said the city of Lansing Parks & Recreation Department has accepted a bid from Rhino Recreational Construction from Novi, Michigan to redevelop the Moores Park Pool.
The bid came in at $6.2 million and was the only firm to submit a bid to redevelop the pool built in 1923.
“The Moores Park Pool holds a special place in the hearts of so many Lansing residents,” Schor said in a statement. “For nearly 100 years it was a place to cool down on a hot summer day and spend time with family and friends. The efforts to restore this historic structure have been underway for several years, but took a huge step forward earlier this year when the state appropriated the dollars to fund the project and restore this gem.”
Officially named the J.H. Moores Memorial Natatorium, the Moores Park Pool will require extensive repairs and renovations. After decades of deferred maintenance and patchwork repairs, the pool was closed in 2019 after badly leaking.
At that time, efforts began in conjunction with the Friends of Moores Park Pool group and Preservation Lansing to study construction needs and costs.
The city hired WTA Architects to assess the pool.
Based on this study, the Michigan Legislature allocated $6.2 million in the state budget to fund these needed repairs.
The record-setting $82 billion budget funded $7.6 million for public pool repairs: $6.2 million for Moore’s Park pool in Lansing, $1.2 million for the Forest Brook pool in Ann Arbor, and $200,000 for a Ypsilanti pool.
The City then put out a request for proposals to have a qualified construction company perform the work.
“Thank you to our incredible legislative delegation, including Sen. Sarah Anthony and Sen. Sam Singh, and Rep. Emily Dievendorf, Rep. Kara Hope, and Rep. Angela Witwer for working to ensure this critical funding was part of the state appropriation process,” Schor said.
The Schor administration will send a budget resolution to city council to accept the money in January 2024. If that is passed, the Parks & Recreation Department will finalize the contract with the vendor and develop a full construction schedule for the project.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Moores Park Pool was designed by City Engineer Wesley Bintz and opened to the public in 1923.
