The Corvallis School District told the board that a structural failure discovered in the Osborne Aquatic Center’s natatorium roof required emergency shoring and draining of the indoor pool and that early engineering estimates to repair the roof and address related deficiencies run into multiple millions of dollars.

The Osborne Aquatic Center is owned by the school district and, under a 1999 operating agreement, is operated daily by the City of Corvallis. Ryan summarized the district’s account of the problem: interior steel roof connections showed serious corrosion where an exterior exoskeleton meets the interior structure; engineers warned crews not to access the roof until shoring was installed. The city installed internal shoring and drained the pool so shoring could be put in place; that action exposed other capital issues because the plaster liner and other systems are designed to remain underwater and have deteriorated since the last major renovation in 1998.

Why it matters: Osborne is a rare 50-meter indoor pool used by school teams, regional swim clubs and about 1,000 regular community users; its closure affects high-school teams, community programs and local businesses that host visiting swim meets.

District and city history and funding context provided at the meeting: the district noted an earlier bond-funded renovation in 1998 and that the original bond and a later reserve account were ambiguous about long-term capital funding responsibility. The district has been sending $100,000 per year to the city for capital maintenance, while the city’s operating costs for the facility were described at about $2.1 million per year with user fees covering roughly $600,000–$700,000 and the city subsidizing the balance.

Engineering and cost estimates: an engineering assessment commissioned after the corrosion discovery found that roof repairs and related remediation are required; early, rough cost estimates presented to the board ranged from about $2,500,000 to $4,000,000 for roof repair alone, with further costs possible once a full condition assessment is complete. Trustees were told the city is commissioning a condition assessment and consulting pool firms and contractors to refine repair versus replacement options including life-cycle and replacement-cost comparisons.

Board members asked about partners and funding options. District staff said they have invited the city, Benton County, Corvallis Public Schools Foundation, Benton Community Foundation, Corvallis Aquatics Team and Oregon Swim to a partners meeting planned for March (district will send materials to the community before that meeting). Trustees suggested outreach to major local employers and visitors bureau partners because regional swim meets have local economic impact. Trustees discussed bond options and the limits of district reserves and cautioned that neither the city nor the district alone likely has the funds to complete comprehensive repairs.

District board chair Ryan framed the ownership and operating roles succinctly: “We own the pool. The city operates the pool.”

Board members also raised operational impacts: swim teams lost practice time and coaches are traveling longer distances and later hours; the city is working to open the outdoor Otter Beach and lap pool as an interim measure, but the interior natatorium has no short-term replacement while shoring and assessments continue. Staff said the city continues to incur operating costs; the district is not currently paying those operating expenses while the facility is offline. Trustees asked the city to clarify whether recent 2024 roof work would have exposed or addressed the interior corrosion; staff said they did not have the detail and contractors’ assessments are pending.

Next steps: the district and city will pursue a formal condition assessment and contractor cost estimates; the district will host a partners meeting to gather community input and investigate philanthropic, municipal and other funding options; staff said they will provide community updates in March and ask partners for ideas on short- and long-term funding, including possible capital campaigns, philanthropy and intergovernmental cost-sharing.

Ending: Osborne’s full schedule and timeline for restoration remain uncertain; the board emphasized outreach to users, families, businesses and regional partners and asked staff to report back after the condition assessment and partners meeting.