For water champions in Kraljevo – construction of indoor swimming pool worth about 4.5m EUR in the pipeline

The citizens of Kraljevo may soon get an indoor swimming pool in the vicinity of the only existing outdoor swimming pool in the very center of the city, next to "City Balcony".

According to the project of the Directorate for City Development, the swimming pool would be built on the bank of the Ibar, next to the city beach, the outdoor swimming pool, as well as several sports fields (athletic stadium, fields for basketball, volleyball and tennis), so that the construction of that pool would make the city's sports-recreation offer complete.

Modernly designed, with glass external walls, the swimming pool would have the surface of about 4,000 square meters.

Somewhat over 4.5m EUR is needed for its construction. Since it is the investment that is much too big for the city budget, Kraljevo presented that project at recently held Investment fair "Investexpo" in Novi Sad hoping to collect the necessary funds easier in that way.

(Mirjana Prodanović)

- The city has recently applied for the funds from the National Investment Plan for the projects in 2010 and we hope to get a positive response. Since there is the decision according to which the City must set aside up to 30% of the funds for all the projects whose co-financing is required, the city authorities have already confirmed that they included that expenditure in the budget for year 2010 - Mirjana Prodanović, the Manager of the Department for project management and local economic development of Kraljevo.

According to the words of Ms. Prodanović, construction of the swimming pool would last for two years, so that the necessary funds for that purpose would be set aside from the budgets for year 2010 and 2011.

In addition to the main project that anticipates construction of the swimming pool, the Directorate has also elaborated several small projects for construction of accompanying contents in neighboring parcels.

The exit section for visitors and employees is shaped as a gallery from which one can see the whole space. Ticket shops are planned to be opened at the same level.

The stands can hold 354 spectators, and there are also VIP boxes with toilets for 18 visitors. This section also includes premises for the representatives of media.

Entrances and exits in the block described above can be placed on two sides. Construction of info-points, stores, auxiliary premises in the entrance part of that level, as well as special premises for police, light control and video surveillance, is in the pipeline.

The entrance to all levels for the people with special needs is made possible by ramps that are mounted on the stairs with an elevator, that is, platform whose dimensions are 73x 95 cm, on an independent steel substructure. In that way, these people will be able to reach the highest level of the stands, toilets, as well as to access the beach of the swimming pool with the help of personal assistant.

There are about 150,000 people living in Kraljevo at the moment, and majority of kids and young people are engaged in water sports. So far, they have been mainly training in the neighboring municipality of Vrnjačka Banja since Kraljevo lacks the facilities for training.