Pryor Creek council accepts aquatic center study, authorizes fund-raising work toward a possible $20 million facility

The Pryor Creek City Council on Tuesday accepted a task-force study that recommends building a new Pryor Area Aquatic Center and authorized city and EDTA leaders to pursue funding and return with a detailed finance plan. The council’s vote clears the way for fundraising, grant-seeking and further design work but does not authorize construction or tax increases.

Adam Anderson, chair of the Pryor Creek Economic Development and Tourism Authority, told the council the existing public pool is “beyond repair” and that renovating the old facility would be “fiscally irresponsible and technically infeasible.” He said earlier studies estimated renovation costs between $8.3 million and $9.5 million and that a new, phased aquatic complex would better meet safety and accessibility standards.

Pool Task Force Chair Michael Moore said the proposal was modeled on a similar Muskogee facility and scaled to Pryor Creek’s population and regional draw. “We did scale it down,” Moore said of the financial forecasts, “and even at 60% it’s still with cash flow based on what we’re talking about.” The plan described amenities including lap lanes, a competitive pool, a zero-entry children’s area, water slides and a lazy river.

The task force recommended an enterprise-fund structure so the center would operate on fees and enterprise revenue rather than the general fund, and it included a proposed maintenance reserve (a 1% set‑aside of capital costs) and projected annual set‑asides of about $30,000 to fund long-term upkeep. The presentation also cited a range of approaches for capital: donor fundraising, grants, possible bonds or a sales-tax vote if necessary.

Councilors pressed presenters on feasibility, maintenance, drainage at the proposed site behind the rec center, and whether the city would need a sales-tax measure or bond. Anderson and Moore said initial fundraising targets for a Phase 1 build would be roughly $3 million to $5 million and that a full-scale project was projected at about $20 million in the materials presented to council.

Mayor (no name given) framed the council’s action as a go‑ahead to let the task force “prove that the funding is there.” The council voted unanimously to accept the study and authorize the pooled funding steering committee to continue work on concrete financing plans and return with figures and timelines.

Next steps: the task force and EDTA will pursue donors and grants, refine phased budgets and report back to council; no construction contract or bond has been approved.