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Irving staff outline options for aging North Lake Natatorium; council signals consensus to give two-year notice to exit interlocal agreement
Summary
City parks staff described the 40-year-old North Lake Natatorium’s condition, financial relationship with the school district and options for exiting a joint-use agreement; council members signaled consensus to give two years’ notice and plan to exit the agreement after Mustang opens in 2027.
Joe Moses, Irving parks and recreation director, briefed the council on the condition, operating costs and the interlocal agreement that governs the North Lake Natatorium, a 50-meter pool built in 1984.
Moses outlined the facility’s history: the natatorium opened in 1984 under a multi-party arrangement with the Irving Independent School District and Dallas County College, and most recently operates under a 2015 interlocal agreement with the school district. The district paid for major renovations in 2017 under a separate agreement that allows the district usage credit against that renovation investment.
Moses and staff showed photos of aging infrastructure, including a non‑functioning bulkhead that limits lap use to two 25‑meter pools, piping and pump-room conditions, and reported an operating cost that the staff estimated will soon exceed $1 million annually. Moses presented three options: continue operating until the debt is satisfied (projected out several years), give immediate two‑year notice and exit upon Mustang’s completion in 2027, or give a two‑year notice later (which reduces the buyout amount but delays exit).
Council members raised repeated concerns about the facility’s aging infrastructure and the risk of escalating repair costs. One councilmember said, "The sooner we can get out of this deal, the better off we're gonna be," noting recurring repairs and cast‑iron piping problems. Moses said that, with Mustang and Center Park coming online, many swim programs and staff would shift to the new facilities and that the city could reduce North Lake’s operations primarily to school‑district usage while satisfying the district’s remaining renovation credit.
Council direction: After discussion the council indicated consensus for staff’s option 2 — to give a two‑year written notice (anticipated in October 2025) to exit the interlocal agreement and plan to vacate the facility in 2027 when Mustang is expected to be operational. Staff estimated the buyout/remaining obligation under that plan and discussed funding and timing implications.
Why it matters: North Lake is an older, high‑cost facility whose condition and rising operating expenses affect parks programming, staffing and the city’s capital strategy. Council’s direction to provide notice and exit the agreement shifts future operating responsibility and requires budgeting for any buyout and transition of programs to newer city facilities.
Formal outcome: The transcript records council consensus rather than a roll‑call vote; staff recorded the direction and will follow up with required notices and budget planning.
