The future of the Ames Recreation/Aquatics Complex will be discussed at Tuesday night’s Ames City Council meeting.

An aquatic center in Ames would be the city’s answer to the Lied Recreation Center, councilman Russ Cross said.

The Lied Recreation Center is primarily available to ISU faculty and students, Cross said. The aquatic center would be accessible to all Ames residents.

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

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

The proposal for the new aquatics and recreation center includes indoor and outdoor pools, fitness rooms and elevated jogging tracks, Carroll said.

Gyms and a climbing wall are also proposed, Cross said.

“[The aquatic center] is a significant facility,” Cross said.

Councilwoman Sharon Wirth said consultants have been updating the center and city staff have been collecting public opinion.

“In order to pass the aquatics center we’ll have to pass a bond issue,” Wirth said.

The council wants to get the information about the center to the public so they know what they are voting on, Wirth said.

Cross said he would like the bond to be voted on in November.

The purpose of the joint meeting between the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission is to review and discuss the proposals for the aquatics center, Carroll said.

Cost of the proposals range from $16 to $26 million, Carroll said.

The plan for the new aquatic recreation complex is to connect it to the new Ames Middle School on Mortensen Road and State Avenue.

“There are cost savings in combining the center with middle school construction,” Wirth said.

Also on the agenda for the City Council is a meeting for the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

The new MPO committee is an “important first step” in meeting requirements for cities with over 50,000 residents, Wirth said.

The MPO transportation policy committee meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Ave., followed by the joint meeting of the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission.

The regular council meeting will take place immediately after the joint session.