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Centralia Pool committee narrows location of new outdoor pool to two sites

By WJBD Staff May 10, 2023 | 11:51 AM
Burbach and Associates Business Development representative discusses proposed new outdoor pool with Centralia Pool Committee.

The Centralia Pool Committee has identified the location of the old outdoor pool in Fairview Park and in an open area behind the Centralia Recreation Complex as the two possible locations if a new pool complex is built.

The committee members each expressed amenities they would like to see in the new pool.   They include a rock climbing wall, zip line, vortex pool, bubbler fountain, a tanning ridge, cascading waterfall, spray fountain, tables that could float in the water and a lazy river.

A business development representative from Burbach Aquatics Josh Layer will further develop the potential look of a new pool for the June meeting.

“We went through the committee’s list of wants and needs.  I will take that list back to our engineers and we will put together 3 or 4 conceptual plans with different amenities that they have mentioned for them to look at.”

One committee member Stephanie Perez admitted she was struggling if the city could afford really needed the new pool and if there would be staff available to run it.

Layer noted very few outdoor pool complexes even came close to operating at the breakeven level, but said outdoor pools are a quality of life issue.

He said a new pool complex would cost more than $5-million if some of the current bathhouse in Fairview Park can be reutilized.  Without it, costs could reach the $8-million mark depending on amenities.