In the hope of catching up with surrounding communities, the Ames City Council passed a motion approving a $23.6 Master Plan for the new Ames Recreation Center and Aquatic Complex at a joint meeting with Ames Parks and Recreation July 8.

The plan includes an outdoor 50 meter eight-lane competitive pool, an indoor pool, water slides, a climbing wall and a three-court gymnasium.

“I think the recreation space and gymnasium space is something we’ve had a crying need for,” said Councilwoman Judie Hoffman. “We have been way, way behind in this area.”

Nancy Carroll, director of Ames Parks and Recreation, said the new aquatic center would complement Iowa State’s Lied Recreation Center.

“The Lied [Recreation] Center doesn’t have any aquatics indoors or outdoors,” Carroll said.

The council directed city staff to collect feedback from various groups who will use the facility and present their findings at the Aug. 26 council meeting.

The council also asked a plan for a special bond election be presented at the Aug. 26 meeting.

“If this project is to succeed, this project can not only be sold by city council and city staff,” said Steve Schainker, city manager. “If we want to proceed, the next step is a user group needs to step forward and take on a leadership role for this bond issue.”

Mayor Ted Tedesco said he does not want the pool to be part of the November election, so it does not get caught up in candidacy issues.

Outdoor aquatics in Ames are in need of immediate attention, said Al Oberlander, consultant for RDG Sports.

Oberlander told the council new pools in Nevada and Boone are drawing Ames residents to those facilities.

“There were 8,800 visits to the new Nevada pool from Ames residents last year,” Oberlander said. “Nevada and Boone are siphoning off a number of Ames residents each week.”

The proposed site for the new aquatics center is Mortensen Road and State Avenue. It would be connected to the new Ames Middle School being constructed at the same intersection.

“The shared site allows us to save $2.7 million for the taxpayers of Ames,” Oberlander said.

Ames Parks and Recreation conducted a survey to determine public opinion about joining the buildings, Oberlander said. Eighty percent surveyed approved of the site.

Additional costs of $200,000—$350,000 would be incurred if the recreation facility was built at a different time than the school, Oberlander said, because fences would have to be put in place to keep students out of construction zones.

Concerns about the future of Municipal Pool, 20th Street and Ridgewood Ave., and Carr Pool, 1610 Meadowlane Ave., were raised at the meeting.

Iowa may possibly change its minimum depth for pools that host high school swim meets to a minimum of five feet, Oberlander said. Municipal Pool can be deepened from four feet deep to five feet deep, he said.

“The way that pool was constructed originally allows us to tear out the bottom of the pool without removing the walls,” Oberlander said.

The estimated cost to deepen Municipal Pool is $480,000.

Carr Pool, however, will likely close if the new aquatic center is constructed, Oberlander said.

“I would feel very disappointed if there was not a nice, outdoor open pool at an affordable cost,” said Martha Okere, 2721 Luther Dr.

Kay Wall, 1004 Kellogg Ave., said she would not vote for a new aquatic center if it meant Carr Pool would close.

Tedesco said he hopes residents don’t consider the fate of Carr Pool when voting on the new recreation and aquatic complex.

“I don’t think it is going to be an issue; hopefully it is not an issue,” Tedesco said. “The aquatics and recreation center needs to stand alone and be judged on that.”

— Daily staff reports contributed to this article.