Following presentations by two local architectural firms at its work session Monday night, the Linn-Mar school board will decide at the March 19 meeting which one will design a $5 million aquatics center on the main campus.

Superintendent Katie Mulholland said it is still hoped that construction can begin this summer with a projected completion by August of 2013.

“It’s a tight schedule,” Mulholland told the board, “but the important thing is that it’s done right."

Although a site has yet to be selected, she said the preferred location is east of the new football stadium.

From five firms that provided proposals, Novak Design Group and OPN Architects of Cedar Rapids were chosen as finalists for the design contract.

Novak will use Water Technology Inc. of Beaver Dam, Wis., for design of the pool, while OPN will use Counsilman-Hunsaker of St. Louis.

Initial plans call for a competition-sized swimming pool with bleacher seating for 400.  But the board has stressed that it also wants the pool to be used not just by the high school swim teams but also by other students throughout the district.

Representatives from the two architectural firms said that the design of the facility and the cost will depend on the types of programs to be offered at the facilty.

Funding for the aquatics center will come from already-approved local sales tax revenues.