The Queen Creek Town Council heard an update Oct. 15 on the first six months of operations at the town's new Recreation and Aquatic Center. Adam Robinson, the town's director of parks and recreation, told the council staff sold "over 32,000 day passes for participants" and recorded roughly $1.1 million in revenues through September.

The report matters because the center represents a major town capital investment and a continuing operating commitment: fiscal year 2026 operating costs for the facility are budgeted at just under $7 million. Robinson said the facility sold nearly 3,000 individual memberships in the period and counts almost 9,000 people when family memberships are included, with average weekly visitation ranging from about 3,500 to 3,900 during the non-peak months.

Robinson said the center has delivered a range of programs and uses in its opening months, from aqua fitness and swim lessons to culinary classes and senior fitness. He described the Riverwalk program — a fitness use of the lazy river — and noted culinary and teaching-kitchen classes often sold out, helping drive engagement beyond swim-only demand. Robinson credited the staffing team for recruiting and training a seasonal workforce of more than 200 part-time employees, more than half of them lifeguards, many of whom were first-time lifeguards and instructors.

Council members acknowledged the steady demand and the facility's role as a family hub. Councilmember Oliphant said residents have discovered amenities such as the walking track and senior fitness and praised staff for outreach and customer service; McClure and Benning also thanked staff for responsiveness. Robinson said average time in the facility for many visitors is about 90 minutes and peak reported daily attendance measured roughly 542 visitors on the busiest counted day, or about 68% of the pool's set capacity of 800.

The report also listed operational problems and planned fixes. Robinson said the HVAC system struggled in the first 4½ months but was recently fully commissioned and operating well. Roofing leaks identified during the recent rainy season are being evaluated and repaired; the town engaged a forensic roofing specialist and a repair plan was submitted.

The largest operational disruption will be the gymnasium floor. Robinson told council the current floor has installation and material issues and will be replaced under warranty at no cost to the town. He estimated the removal, adhesive remediation, new floor installation and striping will take about 8½ to 9 weeks, during which time the gym will be unavailable. Robinson described the interruption as "short-term pain" with a likely decade-long improvement in service life once replaced.

Councilmember Brown asked whether the replacement would use the same product. Robinson said the new floor will use the same Ecore base but a different manufacturer's vinyl top and that Ecore will provide the striping contractor; he cited a comparable installation in Goodyear that has performed well.

Robinson outlined program-level suggestions to address user feedback, including: creating a limited preteen (ages roughly 9–12) hangout, adjusting teen-room and child-watch hours based on usage data, and shifting some family-swim hours (for example extending Friday or weekend hours) to meet demand. He said many program changes could be absorbed within the existing operating budget through reallocation of staff hours and by using savings that emerge as actual utility and supply costs become known.

Robinson closed by urging continued data-driven adjustments as the town 'dials in' programming over the first two to three years. Councilmembers asked for follow-up reports on usage, hours and the gym-floor timeline; staff said they will share updates as repairs and scheduling adjustments are finalized.