Aquatic center cost estimate escalates
Published 1:30 am Friday, August 25, 2023
Skyrocketing construction costs have caused the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District to reevaluate its design priorities for a proposed recreational aquatic facility.
Come November, voters have the chance to approve a $27 million bond for the project, which will be on the general election ballot. The rate is 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a homeowner whose assessed value is $500,000, this amounts to a monthly increase of about $7, or $85 per year.
During its August meeting, the parks and rec board learned that the updated cost estimate for the pool project was about $10 million over what had been budgeted earlier this year.
“As anyone knows who’s trying to get work done around Whidbey, the cost is high,” Commissioner Matt Simms said in an interview this week.
The district is considering a few different options to bring the price back down to the $27 million baseline. One idea is to make some reductions to the space inside, which could include combining the uses of rooms set aside for fitness, parties and community meetings. An indoor walking track could either be added to the facility later or moved outside. Another idea utilizes nontraditional building, such as the use of an architectural membrane, rather than lumber and steel.
Simms said it’s likely the two ideas will be combined into a third option, which requires making reductions to the building’s interior while also using a less expensive building technique for its exterior.
Current design plans include a six-lane lap pool measuring 3,500 square feet and a second smaller pool, at 2,400 square feet, for instruction, physical therapy and leisurely swimming, which includes a current channel, or lazy river. A 100-square-foot hot tub will have the capacity to hold around 10 to 12 people.
If the bond is approved this fall, Simms said construction will begin almost immediately. The targeted opening for the facility is summer 2025. It will be located at the entrance to South Whidbey Community Park on Maxwelton Road, within a building footprint of 20,000 square feet.
The project received a total of $750,000 from the 2022-2023 state capital budget to fund design costs. In addition, Pacific Northwest Swimming, a branch of USA Swimming that fosters growth in youth swim programs, contributed $20,000 to the feasibility study and the initial phase of the design work.
Since then, the project was awarded a $100,000 grant sponsored by the state Department of Commerce to incorporate solar panels into the facility’s design to create resilient power so the aquatic center can continue to operate in the case of a significant power outage. This means that the district is eligible to apply for additional funds for construction.
“The state’s really stepped up, and is telling us this is an important project,” Simms said.
The South Whidbey Parks and Aquatics Foundation, a nonprofit organization that the parks and rec district is partnering with on this project, has a goal to raise $400,000 in private donations by November.
As part of this fundraising, the foundation is building an accessibility fund. Although the public aquatic recreation center will have some user fees associated with it, not everyone will have the resources to pay for entry. This fund ensures that every citizen of the district will be able to use the facility.
In addition, the foundation is planning to fund a program where every kid on South Whidbey learns how to swim. Though Whidbey is surrounded by water, Simms said, a significant portion of the population does not know how to swim due to a lack of public pools within the area.
“These are all things that represent to me what South Whidbey is all about – inclusion and accessibility and looking out for one another,” he said. “It’s been really rewarding to see all the hard work that’s been happening to make this a reality for everyone.”
Informational sessions on the upcoming bond are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 14 and Oct. 19, location to be determined, led by district officials. The foundation also has info booths at the Bayview and Tilth farmers markets.
