Work to transform the Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen should get underway later this year if all things go according to plan. It had been hoped work on the £2million refurbishment would have started by the end of last years.
Providing a update on the work, Robert Gibson, the Director of Leisure, Tourism and Arts with Fermanagh District Council, explained: "We would hope in the next couple of weeks to put the job out to tender. The works will involve a major refurbishment of the existing Forum building, so we will be seeking a design and build initiative.
PACKAGE
"We will ask for designers and architects to come up with the ways of doing things, but we will be telling them what we want delivered within that package," he explained.
"There are lots of things we are looking at doing, for example a new entrance, new changing rooms, and a new viewing area for the pool, and a total revamp of the exterior. When the work is completed, we hope it will be a totally different building when you look at the exterior afterwards."
Turning to the customers who use the facility, Mr Gibson indicated the Council hoped to be able to continue to provide a service throughout the refurbishment work, but he acknowledged this was very much dependant on the design which is chosen, and the health and safety considerations which it raises.
"We will, where possible, try to maintain a service rather than withdraw everything. We will try and keep it open, but health and safety will have to be looked at as work progresses."
Indicating a completion date of 2009 for the work, Mr Gibson explained: "It will probably be a couple of months before tender is appointed, then there will be some design and preparation work, so I would say it will probably be Autumn this year before work starts."
However, Mr Gibson admitted the start of work on the building would be dictated by planning permission for some of the proposals, and added: "So we hope to start by Autumn or sooner than that if possible. This would allow us to have the work completed in 2009."
