A $1.6M contract was approved between the City of Boulder City and VCBO Architecture for the design of a replacement public pool.
Approval comes as the prospect has been widely discussed in Boulder City for several years. The cost of the pool was originally slated at $27M, which then rose to $37M in early 2024. The most recent cost-related discussions, held in September 2024, peg the project at more than $40M.
During the meeting in which the contract was approved, councilmembers discussed ADA compliance standards with the design team. VCBO recommended walk-in accommodations, while councilmembers discussed the availability of a lift.
VCBO stated a lift would cost additional money from maintenance and staffing, but ultimately said the request is possible.
Original plans called for a 35-meter-wide competition pool, which was then reduced to 25 meters in 2021 to cut down on costs. Similar pools have been constructed in Clark County, such as the Aquatic Springs in the southwest valley.
Boulder City’s planned pool was originally to be designed by SCA Designs. VCBO will be using some of the information gathered by SCA and use it to plan and design Boulder City’s desired pool.
Current estimates indicate the design and permitting will be completed by summer 2026. Construction is then anticipated to last for 18 months, which leaves the tentative completion of the pool sometime in the first half of 2028. The project has yet to go through the public procurement process for General Contractor selection.
The design team is attempting to keep the current pool open as long as possible. The pool will, however, shut down at one point, as the new pool is being constructed on the site of the old one.
The current pool is more than 40 years old. It was created on the same site as an even earlier pool. Funding is being generated from a variety of sources, such as $1.5M in private donations, $3.8M from the maintenance fund, $1.7M from the 2024 budget, around $19M from selling Tract 350 to Toll Brothers,and an additional $16M from the Capital Improvement Fund. (Source)