Cape school officials: Locate aquatic center on school district property

A proposed, indoor aquatic center needs to be built on Cape Girardeau School District property, school board members told a consultant Tuesday.

Cape Girardeau city and school officials are looking to build a facility to replace the aging Central Municipal Pool, which is operated jointly by the two entities.

The city has pledged $6 million toward the project. School officials said Tuesday the district is looking at putting $4 million toward the project.

The district's funding would come from a bond issue that could be placed before voters in April, schools superintendent Neil Glass said. The bond issue would include funding for other school improvements, too.

But board members said the district's willingness to partner in building and operating the facility depends on what site is chosen.

School board member Jared Ritter said he would not support asking voters to approve funding for an indoor aquatic center not built on school property.

School officials have suggested building the facility on land owned by the school district and the city adjacent to Jefferson Elementary School.

A joint city/school advisory committee has been working with consultants to determine possible sites and what will be included in the facility.

Eleven possible sites have been identified, including non-school locations. The advisory committee and consultants are working to narrow down the list, parks and recreation director Julia Jones said.

At the special session, school board member Jeff Glenn said an indoor aquatic center needs to serve the needs of Central High School's boys and girls swim teams. The boys team has won the state championship for three consecutive years.

The city is publicly soliciting letters of interest from any private or public entities that wish to partner on the project. Nov. 30 is the deadline for submitting such letters, Jones said.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox, who serves on the advisory committee, attended the school board meeting. After the meeting, Fox said the school district's willingness to partner in the project, not only in terms of construction but also regarding operating costs, is an important factor.

The city's Jones said some 900 people, most of them from Cape Girardeau, filled out online surveys or provided written responses. More than half of them said they used the Central Municipal Pool, which operates year-round thanks to an inflatable "bubble" structure enclosing it in winter.

Survey respondents listed air quality, deck space, consistent water temperature and "not a bubble" as priorities for a new aquatic center, consultant Darin Barr said.

Many respondents suggested a new facility should include a warm-water therapy pool and a leisure pool, he said.

Nearly 45 percent of respondents said site wasn't a key factor to them, Barr told the school board.

But he acknowledged site selection is a factor in overall planning.

"Location is kind of the silent elephant in the room," he said.

Barr's firm, Ballard King, is one of three consulting firms working on the project. Barr said a final report will be made to the advisory board by the end of the year.

The report may not recommend a single site, but perhaps the top two or three sites, he said.

Barr and Jones met with the advisory committee in the school board room at the district's administration building before meeting with the entire school board.

A final decision on whether to proceed with the project rests with the Cape Girardeau City Council and the school board.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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