PUC Completes Renovations for the Hanson Pool and Paulin Recital Hall

Just in time for the school year to begin, Paulin Recital Hall and Hanson Pool at Pacific Union College receive the finishing touches of their renovations.

The Hanson Pool

Hanson Pool is filled with students and visitors throughout the school year and summer. After much use, the pool plaster—not having been replaced since 2004—was peeling off the walls and floors.

Dale Withers, director of facilities management at PUC, and his team began renovations in February, with the PUC Workers Comp Fund and the St. Helena Hospital Foundation supporting this project.

"The PUC Workers Comp Fund reimbursed us for prior years premiums due to good performance of the fund and safety record at PUC," shared PUC Executive Director of Financial Administration Sam Heier. "Since the majority of the work was driven by required pool safety standards, the project was deemed a worthy recipient of those funds."

In exchange for limited access to the pool for their employees and patients, the St. Helena Hospital Foundation funded the balance of the pool project. 

In addition to the plaster, the pool needed to be up to current safety standards with the Virginia Graeme Baker Act, meaning closing off ports on skimmers, installing new main drains, and having an auto-fill for the pool. Facilities were also required to replace all the pool ladders with wall steps, install new railings on the deck, and reshape the steps leading to the pool to fit the current code. Withers and his team also rebuilt the pool pump, rebuilt piping in the filter room, replaced valves in the filtration system, and purchased an updated robotic pool vacuum and chemical controller.

"At this point, we made renovations to every system of the pool," said Withers. “We have needed this renovation for a few years now. The pool had reached a point where we either shut it down or refurbished it.”

Hanson Pool safely opened in July after renovation and inspections with Napa County were finished. The pool is free of charge to PUC students, faculty, and staff and is accessible to the public for a fee.

Paulin Recital Hall

The last time Paulin Recital Hall received a revamp was in the nineties. With renovations being long overdue, PUC alumni Quentin White and Brad Setterlund allocated donations from the Angwin Community Ambulance to support remodeling the recital hall.

Renovations began in January, with the first phase of installing state-of-the-art audio, lighting, and video equipment finishing in April. On August 5, phase two began by installing the new 422 opera seats, replacing the carpet, and painting the auditorium.

With the updated technology, lighting, and seating, audiences will be more comfortable and have an improved audio-visual experience. Future generations will create magical memories in the building for years to come.

"We are thrilled that the updated Recital Hall will be a beautiful, comfortable, updated space with much better technology where we can continue to provide high-quality musical and educational programming," said Professor of Music Rachelle Berthelsen Davis. "We want it to be a nexus for developing and enriching community connections for our campus, the community of Angwin, and the broader Napa Valley. We look forward to hosting outside groups and programming as scheduling allows.

PUC is thrilled these renovations were completed before the school year and is delighted for the students, community, and guests to experience these renovated sites on campus.