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Board weighs two candidate sites for proposed aquatic center after geotechnical review
Summary
Staff presented geotechnical borings and early cost estimates for two candidate sites (John Powell/McCulloch and Assembly/McCulloch). Site 2 (Assembly) offers greater future expansion and easier soils but may require more road work; the board signalled a preference for Assembly and staff requested formal site-selection direction for Monday.
Parks staff and the district's consultant reviewed geotechnical findings for two candidate sites for a proposed aquatic center. Site 1 (John Powell & McCulloch, ~17 acres) generally has more bedrock and steeper slope; Site 2 (Assembly & McCulloch, ~56 acres) has fewer borings with bedrock, is more level and provides greater room for future expansion.
The consultant summarized per-site earthwork estimates: preliminary boring-based excavation costs were roughly $200,125 for Site 1 vs. $224,694 for Site 2 — a marginal difference. Staff cautioned that access and road-work costs could be substantially higher for Site 2 based on a 2021 Soccer House benchmark that was previously estimated at ~$600,000 and inflated to roughly $800,000 in 2025 dollars. Directors weighed access points, roadway improvements, proximity to McCulloch and traffic-warrant requirements from Pueblo County. Staff noted the county typically requires access from the lowest-classified roadway (probably Assembly) and that a traffic study will be required with any application.
Discussion turned to future uses: Site 2's larger acreage favors an 8-acre aquatic build-out plus room for ballfields or other recreation; Site 1 is more constrained. Several directors expressed a preference for Site 2 (Assembly) because of expansion capacity. Staff requested clear board direction Monday so the design team can advance ADA-compliant plans and a professional-services agreement for design.
