Matt Hansen, an IKM architect, revealed an artist's rendition of what the proposed aquatic center for the Seneca Valley School District's high school campus will look like. Hansen's schedule estimates for construction to begin sometime in mid-2019.

JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley School District officials are considering two options for a proposed aquatic center.

“I've worked on this project for the last eight years,” Superintendent Tracy Vitale said this week. “The district believes in teaching life skills and a swimming program is part of that.”

Matt Hansen, an IKM architect who will be working on the new aquatic center to be put near the football field at the Seneca Valley campus, presented two options for the new swimming pool. The first option is a smaller, less expensive swimming area. It has all the features of a basic natatorium, officials said.

Option two included more locker room, viewing and office space, a basement storage area and a lobby that could also serve as a classroom. The cost for the second option is about $2 million more than the first.

“This new aquatics center is a facility that will be maximized by teachers during the instructional day, by coaches during after-school activities and by the community in programmatic efforts for all residents,” said Heather Lewis, district athletic director.

One main feature of Hansen's concept was a gate with movable “garage-like” doors that could turn into awnings to separate or join the athletic facilities around the campus.

Lewis also note IKM's work on increasing the number of lanes, providing a separate diving venue and increasing seating and deck space.

Hansen said the project's timeline would include design development to be announced in November and construction documents to be drawn in December. His schedule also accounted for potential bidding to take place in April with an anticipated construction date to begin in June and go through sometime in 2020.