Leavenworth considers indoor pool as part of Osborn redevelopment

LEAVENWORTH — With Howard Hopkins Memorial Pool showing signs of its limited lifespan, city leaders and local pool advocates are exploring the possibility of folding a new pool into the redevelopment of the Osborn Elementary property.

During the Oct. 28 study session, city staff and pool advocacy group Upper Valley Aquatics Boosters (UVAB) presented two preliminary design concepts to City Council that would include an indoor pool, the library, a community center, and parking within the same footprint of the existing Osborn building, as well as possible funding avenues.

“This is a very early stage…This will have to be an iterative process,” said UVAB Board President Kurt Peterson. “What we want to represent is, there's opportunity here, there's examples of success in a similar pattern, and it's worth starting on that journey to figure it out.”

For background, the City of Leavenworth purchased the Osborn Elementary School property from the Cascade School District in 2021. At that time, a number of ideas for the property’s use were floated around, including a multipurpose community center, outdoor play areas, and even affordable housing.

However, more community needs were identified since preliminary design concepts were proposed. According to City Administrator Matthew Selby, the Parks and Recreation Service Area’s (PRSA) recreational needs assessment identified an indoor pool as a number one priority. Additionally, a space needs assessment for City Hall and the library suggested a $15 million building expansion to meet their needs over the next 30 years.

At the end of 2023, the City of Leavenworth decided to move forward with a concept that would house the Leavenworth Public Library and community center on the Osborn property. Around the same time, the indoor pool feasibility study was completed, but the project was tabled after receiving low public support for a property tax increase needed to fund it.

Since then, some progress has been made on the Osborn property; the playground was replaced, feasibility studies have been conducted, funding has been secured for asbestos abatement, and the city has sought out project funding. Simultaneously, the alarm bells have been rung on the current pool, with increasingly expensive repairs exposing the aging facility’s limited lifespan. 

“We're either going to be embarking on a $15 million rebuild of the outdoor pool next door, which is open three months a year, or we're going to embark on a $25 to $30 million project at the Osborn site that's going to give us an indoor pool, a new library, new community center. That allows city staff another 20 years of growth inside this building,” said Selby.

The suggested alternative included funding and pathway options, such as the creation of a public facilities district, expanding PRSA to match the school district boundary, utilizing PRSA funding, and creating a new position to spearhead the project. UVAB believed it could raise $11 million in private donations for capital improvements and an operational endowment. Selby also suggested that the mixed use could make the project eligible for more grants.

“I think we already have buy-in from the City Council. We already discussed this in our retreat, and it's been discussed over multiple years with regard to supporting a new pool, and the community wants an indoor pool,” said City Councilmember Anne Hessburg.

Finance Director Chantell Steiner cautioned the council to consider the amount of time that would be needed for some of the steps, such as obtaining voter approval for expanding the PRSA boundary or establishing a public facilities district.

Councilmembers agreed to move forward with next steps, such as seeking PRSA approval, developing a project timeline, hiring a dedicated project coordinator, starting the conversation with the community, and giving UVAB the greenlight to begin fundraising.

“We should go full speed ahead. We've got a pool that's on the outs, we've got a building that's sitting there and doing nothing. We've got a community that's just eager for this, and we've got kind of a pathway,” said City Councilmember Mike Bedard.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media