The end of summer won�t be the end of bathing suit season for Medford residents this year.

Medford High School�s Olympic-sized pool is set to reopen in September after a year of construction and a five-month delay.

"We are very close to what they would call substantial completion," said John J. "Jack" Buckley, who is managing the city�s capital projects.

Buckley said the pool will not be just for high school students, but for everyone in Medford.

"[It�s a] full-blown community pool," Buckley said.

An assessment of the school�s original pool in late 2007 uncovered structural issues that raised safety concerns and eventually led to the pool�s closure.

Upgrades to the pool were part of Mayor Michael J. McGlynn�s "Chart the Course" capital improvement project, which he appointed Buckley to head in October 2012.

The Medford City Council originally approved $2.37 million for the pool in January 2012, adding $1.2 million in August 2013 to cover increased construction costs.

Construction on the pool started in fall of 2013.

Although it was expected to open as early as April, Buckley said unexpected plumbing and structural reinforcement issues prolonged construction and required the installation of a new pool deck and filtration equipment.

Another addition to the original plan was the replacement of heating ventilation units in the men�s and women�s locker rooms. Like the original pool, the locker rooms were built in 1970.

"The men�s and women�s changing areas are being brought up to the 21st century," Buckley said.

Buckley said community showers in the men�s locker room were out-of-date and are being replaced with individual shower units.

The women�s locker room already had private showers and cubby-style changing stalls, but Buckley said the spaces were cramped. The new locker room will feature an open seating area, where coaches can hold team meetings, surrounded by larger private changing rooms.

"People today want a little more space," Buckley said.

Another objective of the project is to comply fully with accessibility laws. Accommodations include a new chair lift and a moveable set of stairs with railings that will assist people into the pool, as well as a new community changing room.

Public use to increase

Before the school�s original pool closed, it offered morning swim hours for seniors Monday through Friday, swim lessons, lap swim time, water aerobics and served as a space for other groups to hold events, such as birthday parties and non-school swim meets.

While these programs will continue at the new pool, Medford Athletic Director Bobby Maloney said accessibility improvements will make the pool available to more people in the community than ever before. He said he expects the pool to be used until 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Residents can purchase membership passes at the Medford Community Schools office, located on the second floor at Medford High School, 489 Winthrop St.

To contact the office, call 781-393-2226.

Details about prices and passes will be available on the district�s website, www.medfordpublicschools.org.

Buckley said he does not expect the pool to generate significant revenue for the city, but rather to be a self-sustaining operation that will generate enough money to pay for maintenance.

Buckley said the project has been a long but rewarding one.

"This is one thing that everyone in the community can use," Buckley said. "The old, the young � it is one of those things that will keep on giving back."