Iowa City council approves City Park pool replacement project, moves to solicit construction bids

The Iowa City Council on Feb. 18 voted unanimously to approve the project manual and estimate of cost for the City Park pool replacement project and directed the city clerk to post notice to bidders and set the required bid security.

The project replaces the existing, end-of-life outdoor pool with a three-pool complex featuring six 50-meter lap lanes, a larger leisure pool with play features and a separate diving well. The council approved the documents needed to solicit competitive bids; the base bid was described at about $18,000,000 and bids are scheduled to be opened March 25, with an expected award April 1 and construction to follow, enabling a projected grand opening in May 2026.

Parks and Recreation Director Julie Bridal Johnson said the design reflects nine project goals developed during the planning process and extensive community input. “We wanted to have a whole range of user experiences,” Bridal Johnson said, and later told the council the design meets goals including increased independent accessibility, shade on the deck, and alignment with the city’s climate-action objectives.

Key features in the base design include a six‑lane 50‑meter lap pool, a leisure pool roughly two‑thirds the water surface area of the lap pool with play elements, and a diving well with two existing diving boards (1‑meter and 3‑meter) and space for an additional 1‑meter board as a bid alternate. The new bathhouse is planned as the city’s first fully electrified municipal building, using heat pumps and other electric systems for water heating and building needs; the project team retains the option to add gas heat for any pool the city chooses to heat.

The design reduces total pool water volume by about one‑third compared with the current pool, which the city said will lower water use and chemical treatment needs. Several items are listed as bid alternates: heating for each pool, a UV disinfectant system, climbing wall and additional diving board, shade structures, landscape seating walls, and certain utility line replacements. Bridal Johnson told council the UV system is considered an enhancement (not currently required by state rules for outdoor pools) and will be evaluated against cost when bids return.

Project planners said construction will remove seven smaller trees near the pool but preserve the large canopy trees where possible; the team moved the filter house footprint to spare one of the largest trees. Staff warned that construction can still stress trees and that some larger, older trees on the site are reaching the ends of their lifespans and could decline independently of the project.

Councilors and staff noted wide community involvement: the process included multiple public open houses, focus groups, a statistically valid survey and hundreds of individual touchpoints beginning in October 2023. Staff also flagged cost uncertainties tied to supply‑chain pressures, tariff risks and the availability of specialized labor; the designers and staff said they do not yet have definitive answers on those factors.

What the council approved is the project manual and estimate and authorization to advertise for bids; final contract awards and any decisions to accept alternates will come after bid openings and council action.

Votes and next steps: the council requested bids be posted immediately, with staff returning after bid openings to present results for award. Bids are scheduled to be opened March 25 and considered for award April 1; construction is planned to proceed thereafter with a target grand opening in May 2026.