Iowa City leaves City Park Pool bids open as design tweaks and staffing questions continue

Iowa City parks staff said bids for the City Park Pool renovation are due next week and that the approved design has been mirrored and split from the council-approved concept, but officials cautioned uncertainty remains over final costs and staffing needs.

The update came during the Feb. 12 Parks & Recreation Commission meeting when a staff member said the pre-bid meeting drew about nine general contractors and several subcontractors despite a winter storm, and that bids are due “a week from next Tuesday.” The staff member added, “fingers crossed,” and said crews have kept the existing City Park Pool infrastructure in place so the city can reassess if bids are too high or if responses are insufficient.

Why it matters: The city said it is keeping options open because national factors — including tariffs and labor availability for seasonal construction crews — could push bids above budget. That uncertainty affects whether the city will proceed, re-bid or return to the drawing board.

Commissioner question and design change A commissioner asked how much the design had changed from the council-approved plan. The staff member said the council had approved “design A with the option of splitting the pool,” and that the current plan flips the layout into a mirror image and, aside from the split, keeps lane counts and general sizes “not significantly” changed.

Staffing and seasonal operations Parks staff also connected the construction timeline to hiring plans. Kaylee, identified in the meeting as the program supervisor, said the department has been accepting lifeguard applications but is holding off on mass hiring until the city knows whether City Park Pool will be available this coming season. Kaylee said the department expects to know more by March or early April and is positioning itself to pivot to a larger hiring push if the project proceeds.

Pool closures and certification Staff reported two recent pool closures at the Robert E. Lee pool after incidents that forced the facility to be closed for at least 24 hours for treatment. A parks staff member said that under the new City Park Pool layout — which will have multiple pools — a contamination in one pool would not require shutting the entire facility.

The commission also discussed lifeguard training. A commissioner asked whether the city is Red Cross-certified for lifeguard training; staff replied that Iowa City is a Red Cross provider.

What’s next Bids for the City Park Pool project are due the week following the Feb. 12 meeting; staff said they will evaluate responses and may re-bid if results are unsatisfactory. The department also said it will signal hiring needs once the city has a clearer construction outcome.

Votes at this meeting related to the pool were procedural and did not decide the contract. No final construction contract award was recorded during the meeting.