Voters will decide in November whether Waukee should fund a $33 million aquatic center

Waukee City Council members on Wednesday unanimously voted to approve putting a $35 million bond issue for a public aquatic center on the ballot for the Nov. 5 election.

The growing suburb does not yet have a public pool or aquatic center. If at least 60% of voters in November approve of the city's plan, about 23,000 square feet of amenities including pools, slides, a splash pad and a lazy river would be built at the intersection of Sixth Street and University Avenue, west of Sugar Creek Golf Course.

The council voted to approve of the bond issue going on the ballot just after voting Wednesday to approve accepting a feasibility study on the project. The center is projected to cost $33 million but the city will bond for $2 million more in case bids come in higher.

"It's all in response to requests from residents that we've received over the last four years," Mayor Courtney Clarke told the Des Moines Register after the council's vote Wednesday. "Now it's up to them as to whether or not to vote for it."

A public survey conducted in fall 2023 found 85% of the nearly 1,200 Waukee residents who responded were in support of developing an outdoor aquatic center. Another 500 people from across the metro participated in the survey, according to consultant Waters Edge Aquatic Design.

The city noted on its website for the project that "89% of survey respondents said they had visited a pool within the last 2-3 years, and 61% said they would use a Waukee aquatic center at least once per week."

Here's what to know about the city's proposal and what would happen if the project was approved.

How much would the aquatic center affect property taxes in Waukee?

The city has calculated that about 40% of the estimated $33 million needed to construct the aquatic center would be covered by the existing tax levy and other available cash resources including local option sales tax and public improvement funds, according to city documents.

The remaining 60% would be funded by a property tax increase of about $34 per year for every $100,000 in property valuation.

Council members and city staff had previously discussed ways to trim costs off the aquatic center project, but Clarke said Wednesday that nothing that was easy to cut amounted to any substantial savings.

"It's not up to us to hem and haw over, 'Should it have more of a lazy river, less of a lazy river?' This is really now in residents' hands," she said.

Waukee residents last voted on an aquatic center referendum in 2010. Just more than 50% of voters approved a proposed $7.9 million public pool facility that would have included a walking track and large, open green space. That referendum also needed 60% approval in order to pass.

What is planned for the Waukee aquatic center?

Plans include multiple slides, one of which would be designated for toddlers, a more than 800-foot-long lazy river and a 3,000-square-foot splash pad.

It also includes a 2,200-square-foot lap pool with four 25-yard lanes, a 7,100-square-foot kids pool, an 1,800-square-foot deep water dive pool with a climbing wall, several rentable seating areas and concessions.

When would the aquatic center open in Waukee?

If approved in November, city administrator Brad Deets said the design phase would take about 12 months and the project would be put out to bid in fall 2025.

Construction would start in 2026 with a goal of the aquatic center opening in spring 2027, Deets said.

According to city documents, the target opening date is more specifically Memorial Day weekend 2027.

What kind of resources would the aquatic center take to run and use it?

The city expects the aquatic center would be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Season passes could be about $100 per person or $225 for a family, with day passes ranging from $3 to $10 per person based on age, according to the city's website for the project. Those price estimates were based on market rates in 2023.

The city has projected the facility's annual revenue would cover from 80% to 95% of its estimated $600,000 in operating costs, which would include 25 to 33 people working at any given time. The facility would need 50 to 60 part-time lifeguards every season.

The operating costs not covered by the aquatic center's revenue would be part of the Parks and Recreation Department's budget.

The maximum occupancy would be about 1,570 people. And the facility would be expected to use from 10,000 to 15,000 gallons of water a day, though recirculation technology is part of the proposed design and there are plans that can be activated in case of a drought, according to the city.

More information on the project is available from the city at waukee.org/1183/Proposed-Outdoor-Aquatic-Center-for-Wauk.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the projected change in property taxes if the bond passes and clarify the cost.

Phillip Sitter covers the western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X at @pslifeisabeauty.  

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Voters will decide whether to build $33 million Waukee aquatic center