Talks start for south Sioux Falls to have an outdoor pool by 2029

Sioux Falls Councilor David Barranco says he wants to see a new outdoor pool on the city's south side by the summer of 2029, and a committee will soon be taking a look at how best to make that goal happen.

Barranco said in an interview Tuesday that the committee would include city administration officials, park board members and councilors who would look for an "ideal location" for what Barranco said he envisioned as a "friendly neighborhood pool" designed for social interaction with shade and picnic tables.

He said he'd want the future site to be both walkable and bikeable, adding that he'd like to see it eventually connect to bike trails and on a public transit route.

But more than anything, he said, he wants to see it get done. He noted there's a plan to build a pool on land near the Harrisburg Freshman Academy, but that project has its own challenges and could be as many as seven years out.

"There's no pool south of Laurel Oaks, on 49th Street," Barranco said. "That leaves the entire south side underserved. It's time to address and solve that problem."

Purchase of an appropriately-sized parcel of land, which the council would need to sign off on, was estimated by Barranco at about $500,000, although he added it was possible that a city-owned piece of land could be a potential option.

Barranco said he expected to see a proposal come before the council sometime in early December.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Talks start for south Sioux Falls to have an outdoor pool by 2029