Cape city officials dive into operating costs for indoor aquatic center; estimate higher annual expense

The expense of operating an indoor aquatic center could total more than twice what it costs to annually operate Central Municipal Pool, Cape Girardeau city officials said Thursday.

But they cautioned that's only a ballpark figure and any concrete numbers can't be calculated until there is a final design.

As the new year begins, city officials are diving into cost estimates as they plan for the facility.

Central Municipal Pool costs about $366,000 annually to operate, parks and recreation director Julia Jones said. That cost includes everything from utilities to labor.

A proposed indoor aquatic center could cost anywhere from $650,000 to $800,000 a year to operate, she estimated.

While usage and rental fees, and potential sponsorships, would generate some revenue, Jones said the operation would have to be subsidized by the city and the school district.

The aquatic center would replace the aging Central Municipal Pool, which is jointly operated by the city and the Cape Girardeau School District.

The approximately 40-year-old structure faces several challenges, including poor air quality when the inflatable "bubble" covers the facility during winter months, mechanical issues, inadequate deck space, an aging locker room and limited concession and parking space, city officials have said.

The pool operates year-round thanks to the bubble, but the bubble needs to be replaced, which city and school officials have said would cost an estimated $500,000.

Jones said the 50-meter, Olympic-size pool was constructed as an outdoor facility. It was never designed to be a year-round facility, she said.

Constructed in the late 1970s, the initial "bubble" structure over the pool was added in the late 1980s, according to Southeast Missourian archives.

"It is really not fair to compare current operational costs," Jones said.

An aquatics facility committee, comprised of representatives of the city and public school system, voted 4-2 last month to recommend the city construct an aquatic center on a 17-acre site near Jefferson Elementary School in partnership with the school district.

But the recommendation doesn't come with a final design or even square footage of the facility.

The Cape Girardeau City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on the recommendation. The school board is set to vote on the project Jan. 17. As part of that meeting, the board will look to place a bond issue on the April ballot, which would include funding to help construct the aquatic center.

The city, as a result of voter approval of a parks/stormwater tax last year, has pledged $6 million toward construction of the aquatic facility. "Taxpayers are putting in a significant amount of money," city manager Scott Meyer said.

In 2017, Jones estimated it could cost $6 million to make major improvements to the existing Central Municipal Pool.

But the $6 million earmarked by the city is insufficient to build a new, indoor aquatic center, Meyer said Thursday.

School officials have pledged $4 million toward the project, which is dependent upon voter approval of the bond issue.

The city and school funding combined would allow for construction of a $10 million facility.

If the bond issue doesn't pass, Jones said, "everybody will have to go back to the drawing board."

While the future of the project, as envisioned, depends on the April vote, city and school officials have vowed to continue planning work.

Cape Girardeau public schools superintendent Neil Glass said he and other school officials will work with the city and any future partners "to at least get a few more details ironed out" before the April vote.

Glass said he hopes they will be able to show voters a conceptual drawing of the facility before the election.

The city and the school district have agreed to subsidize the operations as is done with Central Municipal Pool.

Jones said municipal-pool revenue covers about 33 percent of operating costs of the Central Pool. The rest comes from the city and school subsidies, she said.

Consultants told the aquatics committee last year a 36,000-square-foot facility could cost $18 million to build and $1 million a year to operate.

Committee members concluded the community can't afford a facility that size.

The committee favors a smaller facility with a 35-yard stretch pool, Jones said.

With such a configuration, there would be a movable bulkhead that could partition the pool into a 25-yard body of water and a smaller body of water.

This would provide flexibility to accommodate competition swimming and diving as well as leisure activities, Jones and Meyer said.

The design could allow for future expansion, they said.

But none of this is set in stone.

Glass said decisions still must be made regarding the size and design of the facility. "I think all of that is still on the table right now," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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