An Urban County Council committee got its first look Tuesday at a $26m Aquatics Master Plan that proposes building an indoor pool and two more family aquatic centers, upgrades to the city’s current pools, plus the addition of new “splashpads” or “spraygrounds” throughout town.
Council commissioned the report to address flagging attendance and declining revenues system-wide. Consultant Patrick Hoagland explained to get an accurate read on the situation, they got input from some 5,000 users and non-users. Council member Jennifer Scutchfield says fewer people are using the pools because surrounding communities have built top grade family facilities.
Under the proposal, pools at Southland, Shillito, Tates Creek, Woodland, and Castlewood would get badly needed upgrades…in addition, Shillito and Douglass Park would be transformed into regional aquatic centers. The long term plan includes two new aquatic centers being built on the city’s northwest and northeast sides, and one indoor aquatics center. The General Government and Social Services Committee took no action on the proposal. They’ll have to decide how much of the plan can be included in the mayor’s budget next fiscal year.