City updates wellness center construction and recreation stats; outdoor pool to be decommissioned
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Summary
Staff reported construction progress on the Gateway Wellness Center and a programming schedule; recreation director presented 2025 usage figures for pool, civic center, volunteer hours and programs. Staff said the 1949 outdoor pool is leaking and will be decommissioned after this summer.
City staff and recreation leadership gave a two‑part update on Feb. 17 covering the Gateway Wellness Center construction and Livingston Recreation Department's annual statistics.
City Manager Gager said the wellness center — a roughly 43,500‑square‑foot facility at M Street Park (Katy Bunnell Park) — will include a six‑lane lap pool, a recreation pool with a 0‑entry and a 4.5‑foot learn/therapy area, a gymnasium with a raised walking track, fitness zones and multiple community multipurpose rooms. Gager said recent on‑site work included window installation in the gym and that the building will be heated for interior trade work; staff scheduled programming partner meetings and expect to start public tours in April 2026, with facility opening to users anticipated in early 2027.
Gager also confirmed the wellness center will not include a sauna for operational and sanitary reasons: "For several operational reasons, this facility will not include a sauna," he said, and staff substituted an extra multipurpose wellness room to support partner programming.
Recreation Director Maggie Tarr presented 2025 highlights: 541 swim‑lesson participants (ages roughly 3½–12) across a 10‑week outdoor pool season; roughly 31,000 program uses across youth and adult activities; 3,800 hours of Civic Center use; about 8,780 staff hours (3 FTEs plus part‑time); and approximately 3,085 volunteer hours. Tarr noted heavy demand for aquatic programming — the city pool saw 6,865 visits during the 10‑week season — and ongoing youth workforce programs (safe sitter, junior aquatics) and special events (Night Owl Run, holiday market, roller skate nights).
On facility disposition, staff said the 1949 outdoor pool is leaking and losing an estimated 30,000 gallons a day into Flathead Creek; after technical review the pool will reach the end of its useful life and will be decommissioned at the end of the coming summer. The commission discussed repurposing the outdoor pool site as a park gateway or community gathering space through a public process aligned with the downtown and parks master plans.
Commissioners and staff discussed volunteer roles, the foundation endowment supporting the wellness center, and next steps for partner programming, which staff said will include use agreements and a public outreach schedule.
