The City Council will vote today on the recommended Franklin Field location for Madison’s first-ever municipal pool.
If passed, the city can expect to see a recommended architect, an approved concept plan, a finalized location and a possible approval for a second and third future pool location.
Melanie Conklin, communications director for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said she and the mayor are hopeful that following today’s council meeting the city will have fully finalized plans.
“The more we can fundraise, the larger pool we could have,” Conklin said. “Madison has more than 200,000 people and we don’t even have a public swimming pool. We’d like to be able to have one that can serve more people and have larger amenities.”
Jim Morgan, city parks superintendent, said anonymous donors and other agencies in Madison have given support for the pool. The mayor’s office currently handles the fundraising efforts that must be completed by February for groundwork to begin in July.
“Every day we’re getting individual checks ranging from $50 to $1,000 from citizens,” Morgan said. “It’s happening.”
Philanthropists Robert and Irwin Goodman have already pledged $2 million to build the new pool. Cieslewicz set aside $500,000 in his 2005 capital budget and CUNA Mutual Foundation has pledged $100,000.
Cieslewicz appointed members to the funding committee featuring Madison business leaders George Austin, Yolanda Dewey and Nino Amato, among others.
The first pool plan features a 1,000-person capacity pool costing approximately $4 million. The plan as approved by the committee is a 1,000-person pool featuring sand volleyball courts, a playground and waterslides, Morgan said.
Should the committee fall short on fundraising, they can reduce the plan to a $3.2 million plan, which would not feature the playground, some of the bleachers and one of the water slides. The pool and bathhouse would also be slightly smaller.
Morgan said based upon 2004 dollar values, the expense to operate this type of pool with lifeguards and training would cost about $350,000 annually. He added the city would collect approximately $335,000 in revenue based upon a 50,000 to 60,000 seasonal attendance. Entrance fees project to the $3 to $4 range per person, but no set amount has been finalized.
There is also talk of subsidizing swimming and diving lessons for families in low-income areas of the city.
Morgan said employment opportunities for students would be beneficial.
“Being on a pool staff is a great job that is filled predominantly by college-aged students who are working with kids who really want to be there,” Morgan said.
The swift pace for the pool planning came from community outreach, budget approval and city council recommendations.
Conklin agreed the quick pace is at the right time.
“We’re hearing very, very positive things out there and we’d like to raise upwards of $4 million to get everything we would want for pool and the surrounding site,” Conklin said.
The swimming pool committee as well as the city would like to break ground by this upcoming July to meet a completion date set for summer 2006.
