Lawrence City Commission to Hear Pool Renovation Plan That Maintains Current Design and Saves Money – The Lawrence Times

The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday will hear a plan to renovate the current outdoor pool structure, which could save thousands of square feet of swimming space and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Lawrence city commissioners approved a concept in August that included a lazy river, wading pool and recreational pool, but cut the open swimming area about in half. Commissioners requested more information, including the potential cost of renovating the pool in its current form.

Since commissioners approved the renovation in August, nearly 1,700 people have signed a petition asking them to reconsider the proposal because it would limit swimming space at the Outdoor Aquatic Center, 727 Kentucky St.

The estimated construction cost to repair the pool in its current form is $3.6 million, according to the meeting agenda.

This sum does not include the funds for building renovations or other additional costs that were included in the already approved new concept. Adding those costs, the total estimate would be about $5.3 million — $760,000 less than the $6.1 million the commissioners approved in August for the new pool concept.

Renovating the pool in its current form would extend its lifespan by 20 or more years, according to Agenda, compared to the current pool’s estimated lifespan of about 10 years.

However, commissioners will not vote Tuesday to approve renovations to the current pool.

Instead, they will vote on whether to approve a payment of $545,165 to SFS Architecture Inc. to provide a final design of the previously approved new concept.

“Our swimming pool advocacy group is very pleased that a renovation/repair plan fits within the budget provided by the city for pool renovation,” said Holly Krebs, one of the petition organizers. “This option could include an additional $760,000 in upgrades while still remaining within the city’s approved budget.”

The agenda report suggests a handful of renovations and repairs to the pool, including repairing the pool floor and drains, rebuilding the shallow end and replacing concrete.

Vice Mayor Mike Dever asked during the Aug. 13 commission meeting what it would cost to replace the current pool. Jeff Bartley, principal and engineer at Waters Edge Aquatic Design based in Kansas City, Kansas, said it would be “significantly more” – “If you were to replace the pool, you would probably be looking at a cost of $15 million to $20 million.” Dollars running out. “It’s a sizable structure,” Bartley said.

Luis Ruiz, the city’s director of parks, recreation, arts and culture, said during the same meeting that renovating the current 50-meter swimming pool would “significantly increase this budget.”

But the agenda for Tuesday shows that the costs for the renovation would be lower than in the previously approved new concept.

According to the city’s website, the outdoor pool hasn’t been renovated in nearly 30 years. The city plans to finance the project with debt capital. The plan calls for construction to begin in the summer of 2025, although city staff have previously said they would try to time construction during the pool’s off-season.

As of Saturday morning, the agenda item included more than two dozen written comments from community members urging the commission not to approve a plan that would shrink the pool.

The Commission will begin its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 15, at 5:45 p.m. at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. The full agenda can be found at this link.

The meetings are open to the public, broadcast on Midco channel 25 and livestreamed on the city’s YouTube page, youtube.com/@lawrenceksvideo.

The Commission will accept written public comments by email to [email protected] until noon on the day of the meeting. The Commission also hears public comments in person during meetings and via Zoom. Register for Tuesday’s Zoom meeting at this link.

Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a Lawrence Times staff writer since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School, where he was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his full biography here. Read more about his work for the Times here.

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