Dalton officials decide to place aquatics center near convention center

Jun. 10—Barring any unforeseen developments, Dalton city officials plan to build an aquatics center on property the city owns next to the Dalton Convention Center.

The city Finance Committee approved that plan 3-0 Thursday. The Finance Committee is comprised of the City Council members. Mayor David Pennington typically votes only if there is a tie, and council member Tyree Goodlett was absent.

"This will be good for the convention center and bring even more visitors up there," said Pennington.

In March 2021 city officials announced that Hull Property Group, the Augusta-based developer that owns the Dalton Mall and leases the land the mall is on, had donated to the city the lease on 8.38 acres of undeveloped land near the AMC movie theaters where the city planned to build the aquatics center. The remainder of that lease is 56 years.

At the time, several council members said they believed that was sufficient. But they say they began to rethink the idea of making such a large investment on land the city doesn't own. City officials said they could not convince the property owners to donate the land, and they said there wasn't money in the $23 million project to buy land.

In February, the City Council voted to move the planned site of the aquatics center to James Brown Park. In April the council approved a construction management contract with the Reeves Young construction company of Sugar Hill. Reeves Young expressed concern about James Brown Park, saying the low water table would require pumping equipment to keep water from seeping into the building. City Administrator Andrew Parker said the company said that equipment would be noisy and expressed concern about its impact on the residential neighborhood across the street from the location. City officials offered the convention center site as an alternative.

On Thursday, Parker said Reeves Young and city staff had recommended the convention center site, noting that it not only would not require pumping equipment but would have easier access than James Brown Park as well as more room for overflow parking.

The site preparation budget for the project is $2.5 million, and Parker said Reeves Young estimates it will come in just under that. Dalton's KRH Architects will design the aquatics center.

The aquatics center is expected to have a 50-meter, competition-sized swimming pool as well as a 25-yard by 25-yard multipurpose pool that could be used for physical therapy. The city will keep the outdoor pool at the John Davis Recreation Center, which is in the James Brown Park.

The aquatics center is expected to include spectator seating for about 900 as well as a separate seating area with approximately 500 seats for swimmers. Council members have said the aquatics center will host swimming competitions for local schools. They also hope it will host regional USA Swimming events.

Plans call for the competition pool to have a Myrtha stainless steel pool liner, which is said to create a very "fast pool."

Parker said the next step now that the site has been finalized is for city officials and the architect to meet with stakeholders such as the Carpet Capital Aquatics Club, the swimming programs from local schools and Hamilton Health Care System, which could use the smaller pool for physical therapy, to meet to discuss final plans for the aquatics center.

When the convention center was built in 1991, plans called for a hotel to be built next to it. But during the past 30 years, local officials have not been able to land a hotel.

The late hotelier and developer John Q. Hammons signed a letter of intent with the convention center authority board in 2008 to build an Embassy Suites at the convention center, but Hammons withdrew from the deal later that year following the departure of then-convention center director Rick Tanner and the veto by then-Gov. Sonny Perdue of a bill that would have created tax credits for tourism-related projects such as the planned hotel.