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Work is expected to begin soon on a new roof for The Manchester Recreation Center, with contractor Don Kennedy Roofing set to begin work in a matter of weeks.

“Our roof, we met with Don Kennedy yesterday, the roofing company, they are eager and excited to get going of course and they figure once they get all their materials ordered they should be here in about two weeks probably,” Fox said during the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission April 13.

Fox said that while the initial price tag for the new roof was slated to be $1,158,170, some recent adjustments brought that price down to $964,291.

Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman liaison Julie Anderson asked Fox if he would be comfortable asking the city Budget and Finance Committee to use that saved money towards improvements to the Recreation Center’s outdoor pool area.

Fox said repairs currently need to be made to the pool’s lighting, and its slides need to be refinished as well as some work to the pool play structure’s deck.

“That decking needs to be recoated and then you have the outdoor slides,” Fox said.

Fox said that while recoating the deck of the play structure should only take about two days and cost under $10,000, he is not sure how long it would take for the pool’s slides to be refinished and whether or not the work on the slides could be completed before pool season begins.

“I feel like the play feature we can because we have some quotes that are under $10,000, anything over $10,000 we have to bid out,” he said. “These slides may be a stretch because they are going to be over $10,000 and I think they were (about) $50,000.”

Fox said the slides are functional in their current condition.