For information on the therapy pool, call the Carson Aquatic Facility at 887-2242

Physical therapist LuAnn Tucker was excited when she heard nearly three years ago the city would build a therapy pool with the new Aquatic Facility.

Tucker, owner of Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation, takes patients needing water therapy to the hot springs on Hot Springs Road.

Use of the outdoor pool is subject to weather, and at a cost of $10 per person "a lot of people can't afford to go out there," she said.

"We need an indoor pool we could use on a more consistent basis," Tucker said.

Her patients and others needing water therapy will be able to use the new therapy pool at the Carson City Aquatic Facility this week.

Steve Kastens, parks and recreation director, said finishing touches to the pool will be done early this week. The pool will be open by Friday at the latest, he said.

A ribbon cutting ceremony, which should have been held about two years ago, is planned for Sept. 12.

"We think it deserves something more than just opening it after two years," Kastens said.

Workers from Metcalf Construction will finish the last bits of construction next week, leaving the pool construction free for the first time since the project began in Feb. 1999.

"We're really excited," Tucker said. "So many more people will have access to it. For people who are on a limited budget, it's cheaper than going to Wally's or where we go."

The therapy pool, which boasts a wheelchair ramp, handles, special lifts to get people in the water and warmer-than-normal water, will be open seven days a week. Monday through Friday it will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sundays it will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. The blocks of time between the open therapy times will be offered to physical therapists needing the pool, Aquatic Facility Supervisor Kurt Meyer said.

Meyer said when work on the pool started, many people asked about the therapy pool. Interest tapered off, however, as the project faced delay after delay.

"I think they got disheartened and quit asking," Meyer said. "I know they're out there. We had tremendous response when it was supposed to be open. They've been put off for so long, they don't ask any more."

The aquatic facility, the first large Quality of Life initiative project, was supposed to be done in September 1999.

Delays, mostly due to bad weather, pushed the completion of the indoor pool and other improvements into November 1999 and sent the $3.6 million price tag up by $160,000.

The therapy pool, slide and other work in a second phase of the project were then expected to be finished by Jan. 31, 2000, but remained unfinished during the past two summers.

Pool contractor American General Development was removed from the project in September 2000, after negotiations to fix multiple alleged project deficiencies failed.

Both sides are embroiled in a lawsuit at the moment, the city contending AGD failed to build the pool to specifications, and AGD claiming breech of contract.

A review of the project by the State Contractor's Board is pending.