New aquatics center proposed for Northeast Side

Columbus Recreation and Parks and Columbus City Schools are working on a plan to build a new indoor aquatics center connected to a school on the Northeast Side.

Why it matters: Just one of the city's eight pools is indoors — the Columbus Aquatics Center in the Short North — and it's "reaching the end of its usable life," per a 2023 city-commissioned report .

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Flashback: That Legat Architects report found Columbus has many "aquatic deserts" because its pool portfolio hasn't grown alongside its population.

• It recommended a school partnership as one solution and said a new indoor pool should be a "high priority."
• The city most recently added two pools in 1970, when its population was 41% smaller, per the Dispatch .

The latest: The Columbus Board of Education in June approved a non-binding letter expressing "mutual intent to engage in a collaborative effort," which outlined potential district land transfers and lease agreements.

• The earliest construction is expected to begin is 2026, per the document.

Zoom in: The project's proposed site currently houses Mifflin Middle School, Cassady Alternative Elementary School and the Howard Community Center. The aquatics center would go on nearby green space and connect to a new community center.

• The long-term plan includes the district constructing a new middle school connected to the centers, plus a separate elementary school nearby.
• All existing buildings would close.
• The city would also build and maintain a new track, athletic fields and expanded park area on the campus.

Map: Axios Visuals

Follow the money: The anticipated budget for a new indoor pool facility is $50-75 million, per the city's 2023 report. The district estimates the two new schools would cost it about $76.4 million, with expected additional costs covered by the state, a spokesperson tells Axios.

What they're saying: School board member Sarah Ingles called the idea a "huge opportunity for our district" at the June meeting.

Reality check: The district would first need to secure funding for the project, so nothing is officially proposed yet, the spokesperson says.

• The conversations are separate from the district's ongoing discussions about consolidating existing buildings.

Data: Columbus Recreation and Parks Aquatics Capital Improvement Plan; Chart: Axios Visuals

The intrigue: In a survey of over 2,400 Columbus residents, crowding was the No. 1 reported barrier preventing pool use, per the city's 2023 report .

Context: The National Recreation and Park Association recommends two pools per every 100,000 people, per the report, but Columbus has just half that many.

What we're watching: A Recreation and Parks spokesperson told Axios that more information will become available "in the coming weeks."