01/08/2026
Work begins on bath house for wave pool project!
Article by Charles Owens, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Photo by Tara Wyatt, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Crews with Swope Construction Company began laying footers Monday for the new bath house planned at the site of Princeton’s wave pool project.
The warm weather outside, which is expected to last for the next several days, allowed the construction crews to begin work on the footer, or concrete base, for the bathhouse, Princeton City Manager Mike Webb said.
“Swope Construction started working on the bath house and they are on pace to be completed as they said they would in the contract. So that’s great news for us,” Webb said. “We are still looking at a mid-summer, July 4th kind of opening, and right now Swope has done an outstanding job.”
While the weather so far this winter has gone from periods of extreme cold to periods of unseasonable warmth, work at the wave pool construction site has been largely unaffected to date. Daytime temperatures this week will be in the mid 50s to high 60s, which should allow the construction crews to make progress on the foundation for the bath house.
“Weather has been kind of tough at times but this week is going to be a whole lot sunnier and warmer,” Webb said. “So we are hoping they get a whole lot done this week starting with the bath house.”
Webb said work on the foundation for the bath house was planned around the good forecast.
“Yeah, I think they we’re prepping it for the last week or so, prior to Christmas and then got into it today with the better weather,” Webb said Monday. “They should really start moving forward with it.”
A large hole also has been dug out at the construction site, which is where the actual wave pool will be located.
“They’ve already dug it out and placed the rock and other material in to be able to back it up,” Webb said. “And so we’re looking for that second company to come in with the aquatics to start building the wave pool itself here in the near future.”
Webb said the goal is to still have the wave pool open in time for the Fourth of July weekend, which this year will also mark the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration observing America’s 250th anniversary.
“That’s our hope and goal,” Webb said, adding that additional activities may be planned this year in the city to coincide with the special occasion.
For now the weather looks to cooperate for the construction project, at least for the time being.
“Swope has done an outstanding job, staying on schedule and getting work done,” Webb said. “Even on days when you think it’s too cold or too wet, they’ve been able to get in and get things completed. So very impressed with their work.”
Work got underway on the new wave pool and aquatic center last fall, and the two contracts on the project call for a 160 day construction schedule.
Swope Construction of Bluefield is currently working on the bath house site. Aquatic Builders Ltd of New York will construct the actual wave pool.
The wave pool project is being funded through a $4 million bond issue, which is being matched with an additional $475,000 in city funds.
Wave pools are swimming pools which create artificial waves. The aquatic facility is being constructed in the field behind the Princeton Towers not far from the existing city hall complex off Bee Street.
Samuel Lusk, executive director of the Princeton Economic Development Authority, also was asked about the project. He too said progress was being made despite the seesaw weather pattern, adding that the goal is to still have the wave pool project ready for the Fourth of July and the Semiquincentennial celebration observing America’s 250th birthday.
