NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams County Recreation Commission anticipates construction of a new community pool will go out for bid in the upcoming week.

The commission approved accepting bids earlier this month pending construction drawings from consultants.

Commission chair Tate Hobdy said the deadline for the drawings is this week and he hoped to start advertising for bids early next week.

Hobdy said the bids will be accepted for 45 days before the commission can close the process. Should the bids go out next week, Hobdy said he hoped work could start sometime in December.

Hobdy said he was confident the pool would be ready during the summer of 2017 in time for swim season.

Some changes to the facility have been made to reduce costs, and other potential reductions are included in the drawings in case the bids come in over budget. Hobdy said the only change people are likely to notice is the splash pad will be reduced by 15 feet.

“The pool will still be eight lanes capable of being used in competition and for programming,” Hobdy said.

The potential modifications if the project’s bids come in over budget include a few less shaded areas, Hobdy said.

“It is stuff that won’t change the overall utility of the pool,” Hobdy said. “Nothing that if it was taken people would know the difference, but it would be nice if we had it.”

The dirt work bid for the pool and multi-purpose fields was accepted in August. Camo Construction was awarded the bid at approximately $80,000 and the dirt work began recently.

Hobdy said he was hoping for only a 30-day gap between dirt work ending and construction on the pool and support buildings beginning.

“The dirt work looks awesome,” Hobdy said. “Things are moving along really good now.”

The Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi, which ultimately will help the commission manage the pool, will have a presence moving to Natchez full time in November. Alice Agner, who will live in Natchez, will be the director of the Natchez YMCA.

“We have had a presence, but it has been a back-and-forth presence from Jackson,” Hobdy said. “I think once she gets here and we have someone here five days a week plugging away at it, I think it will be obvious how much benefit the Y brings to this community.”