Plans For Potential APlex Expansion to Be Shared at Charette
After over fifty years of service, the Alpena Plaza Pool has been a great asset for the community. However, the aging facility is now reaching its limits facing maintenance issues, failing to meet modern Michigan High School Athletic Association requirements, and suffering from outdated ventilation causing extreme humidity. Mary Catherine Hannah, Alpena County administrator, expressed the challenges faced by the aging pool, “So, when we have an issue with the pool, like last year when we had a series of leaks, you have to literally chip out the tile pool deck, and you have to chip it out in multiple places so you can actually find out where the leak is. Then you have to rip up the floor, repair the leak, and re-tile the pool deck.”
Recognizing the need for a new pool, community leaders initiated discussions for change. Hannah continued, “And so the idea came for an expansion of the APlex that would include a new pool, bringing together a ton of sports and recreational things under one roof and creating a really fantastic community asset. Not just for Alpena or for the County of Alpena, but regionally as a draw for sports and recreational activities.”
With this, over one thousand community members participated in a survey to voice their needs, leading the county to consider additional upgrades to the facility. Hannah outlined the possibilities: “It could be multiple phases, and we took that into account. Phase one might just be the pool, then phase two, three, four, however that works out.”
As part of the community engagement process, a planning charette has been scheduled for Friday, December fifteenth, at 5 p.m. at the APlex. All community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the proposed changes and to glimpse into the potential future of the Alpena pool.
