Cape school officials look to partner with YMCA on aquatic center

Editor's Note: This story has been edited to correct the spelling of the name of the parks director.

Cape Girardeau School District officials hope to convince the national YMCA organization to participate in the planned construction and operation of an indoor aquatic center.

Superintendent Neil Glass and assistant superintendent Josh Crowell said Wednesday they have had discussions with YMCA officials in Chicago.

"We have an opportunity to make it a YMCA," Glass said of the aquatic project.

Sikeston, Missouri, has a YMCA facility that includes an indoor pool, he said. That facility opened in February 2009, according to the YMCA of Southeast Missouri website.

Construction began in November 2007 after the organization raised $7.8 million, the website said.

The Cape Girardeau City Council and the school board are backing plans to build an indoor aquatic center next to Jefferson Elementary School.

City voters extended a parks/stormwater sales tax last year to pay for various projects, including $6 million toward construction of an aquatic center to replace aging Central Municipal Pool.

School officials have pledged $4 million toward the project, which is dependent upon voter approval of a $12 million, no-tax-increase bond issue April 2.

The bond issue would fund a number of improvements in the district, including major upgrades at Jefferson and Alma Schrader elementary schools.

The city and school district have pledged to subsidize the operation of the aquatic center.

But Glass said the center would generate some income in the form of rental fees and leisure-pool admission charges.

Fees paid by swim teams will need to be increased to help pay some of the operating costs, he said.

City and school officials have estimated operating costs for a new aquatic center could amount to $1 million annually.

Parks and recreation director Julia Jones has estimated costs could total $800,000.

Whatever the figure, it will be substantially more than the approximately $366,000 spent to operate the existing Central Municipal Pool, according to city officials.

An aquatics committee, comprised of representatives of the city and public school system, voted 4-2 in December to recommend an aquatic center be constructed on a 17-acre site next to Jefferson School in partnership with the school district.

But questions remain over how much money it will take to construct such a facility.

Jones said in a written report to the council the committee favors a 31,100-square-foot facility that would cost about $13 million to build. Additional funding would be needed to construct such a facility, she said.

City and school officials have said repeatedly they hope to find additional funding partners.

Glass said, "I am not opposed to building a bigger aquatic center."

A partnership with the YMCA could make a larger center feasible, school officials said.

The superintendent said he hopes an agreement could be worked out with that organization before the April election, but he said there is no guarantee that will happen.

Bob Fox, Cape Girardeau's mayor and a member of the aquatics committee, said in December the group was looking at $10 million in funding but "we want to build a $15 million facility."

A consultant suggested an indoor facility with both a competitive swimming pool and a sizable leisure pool would command a price tag of $18 million.

Glass said he would like to see sufficient funding to construct a 50-meter competitive pool as part of the project, a size the area's competitive swimming teams, parents and coaches favor.

But both city and school officials have said a smaller competition pool would be less costly. Glass said he couldn't simply write a check to make that happen.

City and school officials believe putting the aquatic center on the Jefferson School campus would help revitalize Cape Girardeau's struggling south-side neighborhood.

City and school officials said education is the key to restoring the neighborhood.

Glass said an aquatic center could spark "some serious investment" on the city's south side.

The aquatic center is part of an ambitious plan by school officials that includes building an early childhood education center and developing a curriculum at Jefferson School focusing on science, technology, research, engineering, art and mathematics.

Glass said an aquatic center could be attached to a new gymnasium that would be built at Jefferson School if the bond issue passes. The new gymnasium could include a glass wall that would overlook the competitive pool and allow space for spectators, he said.

The kitchen area at Jefferson School could be reworked to double as concessions space for the aquatic center, he said.

Such a design could help reduce the cost of building the aquatic center, school officials said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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