On Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, the Iowa City City Council voted to replace the City Park Pool. City Park Pool opened in 1949 and was designed by Ned Ashton, a distinguished local engineer. After 70+ years of heavy community use from lap swimming, cannonballs off the high dive, and swimming under the canopy of oak trees, it is time to take on major changes due to severe deterioration and aging.

Our community and its needs have changed significantly since 1949, and we now have the opportunity to rethink our outdoor pool design and make updates that consider a wide range of pool users with differing abilities and needs. We look forward to building an inclusive pool that serves all residents.

4/2/2025 Update

Iowa City Parks and Recreation announces that City Park Pool will be closed for the entire 2025 season. This closure will allow for the construction of the new City Park Pool. Weather permitting, construction is anticipated to begin spring 2025 and the project is expected to be completed by April 2026, with reopening planned for Memorial Day weekend 2026.

The new City Park Pool will feature a design that enhances the recreational experience for residents of all ages, abilities, and interests. The design includes three distinct pools tailored to different activities and needs:

• 5,197-square-foot Leisure Pool with Play Features – A fun, interactive space for families and children to enjoy water play.

• 6-Lane, 50-Meter Lap Pool – Offering ample space for swimmers of all skill levels, with two lanes designated for lap swimming, even during open swim hours. The remaining four lanes are anticipated to be available for general use during open swim. This pool will include both ramp and stair entries for improved accessibility.

• Diving Well – Featuring two low dives, one high dive, and an exciting climbing wall for added fun and a new challenge.

The facilities will also include a newly designed bathhouse that will house a year-round community room for local events and meetings, as well as outdoor restrooms for park users.

On Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025, the City Council awarded a $13,695,400 contract to City Construction of Iowa City for the construction of the new facility. The project has been designed by Williams Architects, MMS Consultants Inc., IMEG Corp., and Hitchcock Design Group.

The $13,695,400 construction costs represent just a portion of the overall price of the new pool. Remaining funds will be used to pay for design fees, furnishings and equipment, which will amount to the $18 million anticipated total.

Several presentations have been made as the City Park Pool project has progressed through the design process. These presentations can be accessed through the following links:

• 02/18/2025 - City Council Public Hearing
• 01/08/2025 - Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
• 11/14/2024 - Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
• 10/01/2024 - City Council Meeting
• 05/21/2024 - City Council Meeting
• 05/07/2024 - City Council Work Session
• 03/21/2024 - Historic Preservation Commission Meeting
• 02/14/2024 - Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting

Next Steps

• Spring - Summer 2025 — City Park Pool closed for the 2025 season
• April 2025 - April 2026 — Construction Phase
• May 2026 — Grand Opening

2/19/2025 Update

Final plans for City Park Pool are complete and were presented to the City Council in a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. The City Council approved the project design and estimated costs, opening the project for bidding. The deadline to submit a bid for the project was Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2025.

• 02/18/2025 - City Park Pool Presentation shown at City Council Public Hearing

A joint work session of the Iowa City City Council and the Parks & Recreation Commission was held on May 7, 2024, to review Phase 2 feedback and give a staff recommendation prior to a later City Council selection.

•  City Park Pool Council Work Session Presentation, 05/07/2024

On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the Iowa City City Council voted unanimously to move forward with “Option A” as the replacement for City Park Pool. The design provides a zero-depth leisure pool, six 50-meter lap lane pool, diving tank with low and high diving boards and new bath and filter house. Concept Design A will be further refined before bidding to incorporate any additional direction from the City Council.  Examples of items which may be adjusted include:

1. Detaching leisure and lap pools
2. Enhancing 25 meter and/or 50 meter lap swimming options
3. Replacing current channel with other recreational features for young swimmers
4. Adjusting pool deck size and accommodations
5. Bathhouse and Filter House modifications
6. Placement of shade structures

Phase 2: Public Input Complete

• City Park Pool Concept Options A-D
• City Park Pool Concept Comparison Table
• Community Input Summary
• Parks and Recreation Commission Update Presentation, 2/14/24
• Video of Parks and Recreation Commission Update Presentation, 2/14/24

An online public survey was available Feb. 15 - Mar. 8, 2024 to provide feedback on the potential new City Park Pool designs. All residents were invited to access the survey. Paper copies were available at the customer service desks at City Hall, the Mercer Park Aquatic Center, and the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center for those without internet access. Both the online and the physical surveys were available in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Arabic. At the same time, 6,000 randomly chosen households received a postcard invitation for a statistically valid, random sample survey. A public drop-in open house was held on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center.

The surveys from Phase 2 are closed with over 1000 completed surveys received. The consulting team is tabulating results which will be presented to a joint meeting of the City Council and Parks & Recreation Commission later this spring. At that time, the City Council will likely choose which option to move forward into full design.

Concept designs A-C feature zero depth entries, enhanced water play areas, and allow for 6 lap lanes. All designs use at least 34% less water than the current pool. The cost estimates for these three options range from $17.25 million to $18.39 million.

Concept D is a nearly exact replacement of the current pool, and does not have accessible zero depth entry, but does maintain 8 lap lanes. The estimated cost for this option is $19.45 million.

Phase 1: Public Input Complete

Two in-person idea generations sessions, hosted by project consultants were held on Friday, October 27, 2023.  More than 500 people attended these meetings to give their preferences and ideas for a new pool.  No pool designs were prepared for these meetings.  Participants used five different interactive stations to rate and choose uses and amenities that are being considered for new designs.  An online vision survey was available following the in-person meeting.  More than 250 submitted this survey.

A series of in-person focus groups were held on November 13 and 14.  More than 200 people participated. 

327 registrations were received to participate in the in-person focus groups.  A sorting process was completed during which names, emails and addresses were hidden from the selection committee.  Groups were sorted both by self-identified characteristics (such as people with disabilities, teens, caregivers of people with disabilities) and self-identified use/interest areas (such as lap swimmers, water walkers, frequent users, families with elementary aged children).  As much as possible, each focus group was balanced to provide representation of gender, age, and race. 

 Residents who registered for a focus group but were not chosen were given an opportunity to complete the same questions via an on-line form.  43 online focus group responses were received.

Stay Tuned

This project page will be updated throughout the City Park Pool project duration. You can also follow along for updates on our social media on Facebook and Instagram.

Questions