Park board flags drainage at Centennial Park and discusses removing old city pool for an amphitheater

Pryor Creek park staff told the Park Board that gravel ("chat") washing from a trail at Centennial Park has accumulated in a downstream creek and is causing standing water in some residents' yards; staff said the project is on the parks capital outlay list but is not an easy fix.

Mary, reading a report from Frank Powell, said the City is aware that chat is building up as much as one to two feet in the creek behind homes near Meadowview Circle and the library, trapping debris and raising the creek bed. She said the parks crew anticipates using a small backhoe to remove material and reinforcing a slope, potentially using concrete to prevent future washouts. The report said the needed work is budgeted in capital outlay but will require time and equipment to complete.

Why it matters: Staff said the creek's higher bed level has caused standing water in yards but has not reached homes. Board members asked clarifying questions about the location and severity; staff confirmed the issue is being tracked and budgeted rather than an immediate emergency.

Old pool and future uses: The board also spent substantial time on the old city pool site. Staff and board members said repairing or replacing the pool is expensive; prior engineering estimates for repair or replacement were cited as previously in the multimillion-dollar range. Several members argued the pool basin has deteriorated and is unlikely to be reusable for a conventional city pool.

Alternatives discussed included demolishing and replacing the pool area with a lower-cost community amenity such as an amphitheater, outdoor stage or flexible gathering space, with phased fundraising or sponsorship of discrete elements (for example, a stage, seating or lighting). Board members and staff discussed models used by other cities: color-coded cost sheets that let donors fund specific elements, community donations of labor or materials, and targeted grants or corporate sponsorships.

Funding and next steps: Board members said the pool task force continues to research options, travel to comparable facilities and develop a business plan that lays out costs, operating impacts and funding models. Staff said consultants had been retained to help gauge community support, but survey response rates were weak and additional outreach or targeted fundraising approaches may be required. Board members asked staff to get engineered estimates for demolition/tear-out costs and to prepare an outline of options for the old pool site; several members said demolition and site re-use planning should proceed even while a long-term plan for a new aquatic center is developed.

Ending: The board asked staff to return with demolition cost estimates and with the pool task force's business-plan materials; members emphasized the need to consider long-term maintenance and operating costs when evaluating new assets.