New aquatics center proposed for Northeast Side
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Columbus Recreation and Parks and Columbus City Schools are working on a plan to build a new indoor aquatics center connected to a school on the Northeast Side.
Why it matters: Just one of the city's eight pools is indoors — the Columbus Aquatics Center in the Short North — and it's "reaching the end of its usable life," per a 2023 city-commissioned report.
Flashback: That Legat Architects report found Columbus has many "aquatic deserts" because its pool portfolio hasn't grown alongside its population.
- It recommended a school partnership as one solution and said a new indoor pool should be a "high priority."
- The city most recently added two pools in 1970, when its population was 41% smaller, per the Dispatch.
The latest: The Columbus Board of Education in June approved a non-binding letter expressing "mutual intent to engage in a collaborative effort," which outlined potential district land transfers and lease agreements.
- The earliest construction is expected to begin is 2026, per the document.
Zoom in: The project's proposed site currently houses Mifflin Middle School, Cassady Alternative Elementary School and the Howard Community Center. The aquatics center would go on nearby green space and connect to a new community center.
- The long-term plan includes the district constructing a new middle school connected to the centers, plus a separate elementary school nearby.
- All existing buildings would close.
- The city would also build and maintain a new track, athletic fields and expanded park area on the campus.
Follow the money: The anticipated budget for a new indoor pool facility is $50-75 million, per the city's 2023 report. The district estimates the two new schools would cost it about $76.4 million, with expected additional costs covered by the state, a spokesperson tells Axios.
What they're saying: School board member Sarah Ingles called the idea a "huge opportunity for our district" at the June meeting.
Reality check: The district would first need to secure funding for the project, so nothing is officially proposed yet, the spokesperson says.
- The conversations are separate from the district's ongoing discussions about consolidating existing buildings.
The intrigue: In a survey of over 2,400 Columbus residents, crowding was the No. 1 reported barrier preventing pool use, per the city's 2023 report.
Context: The National Recreation and Park Association recommends two pools per every 100,000 people, per the report, but Columbus has just half that many.
What we're watching: A Recreation and Parks spokesperson told Axios that more information will become available "in the coming weeks."