Pool Feasibility Study

Aerial picture of Northview Pool

Pool Feasibility and Design Study Background

In July of 2024, the City released a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a qualified consultant to help City Staff conduct a Pool Feasibility and Design Study and develop a community consensus regarding the future of the aquatics program.  The City received proposals from five qualified firms and selected JLG Architects after interviewing top candidates. The Pool Feasibility Study was paid for using general fund dollars and has a "not to exceed" cost of $89,674. A major purpose of the study was to help the City identify funding sources to pay for the construction and ongoing operation of a future aquatics facility. A new outdoor aquatics center would cost roughly $7 million. A new indoor aquatics center would cost roughly $11 million. 

You can sign up to receive updates using this link: NOTIFY ME

Project Update

At their October 6th meeting, the South St. Paul City Council voted to accept the Pool Feasibility and Design Study’s final report and move forward with the next phase of pool planning, the preparation of final construction plans for a new outdoor aquatics center at Northview Park.

This milestone follows more than a year of study, community input, and evaluation conducted by City staff in partnership with JLG Architects. The feasibility study included open houses, surveys, and public presentations at City Council meetings to reach consensus about a preferred location, design concept, and maximum budget for a new community pool.

Under the approved plan, the existing Northview Pool will close to prepare the site for construction of a new, combined outdoor aquatics facility. The design incorporates elements from both Northview Pool and Lorraine Park Splash Pool, providing a single, modern facility that will serve pool users of all ages and abilities.

The approved plan includes a detailed estimate of the cost to build the new aquatic center and a detailed estimate of the annual cost to operate it, some of which will be offset by annual revenue that the facility will bring in. The City is working with our representatives at the State Legislature and we are hopeful that the State will provide partial funding for the new aquatic center as part of a bonding bill during the 2026 Legislative Session. After the State Legislature has made their decision (by the end of May 2026), the City Council will need to hold a public hearing and make a final decision about whether to fund the City’s share of the project’s costs with tax abatement bonds.

Project Timeline:

  • Spring 2026: Final construction drawings will be complete.
  • Summer 2026: Northview Pool will remain closed to allow for site preparation and demolition. Lorraine Park Splash Pool will open for the season.
  • Summer 2026–2027: Construction of the new aquatics center is expected to begin.
  • July 2027: Targeted completion. This could potentially allow for a partial swim season at the new aquatics center in 2027.

Timeline for Next Steps

The project team, City Staff, the City Council, and South St. Paul's representatives at the State Legislature have been in constant communication about "next steps." The tentative plan for building the new aquatics center is as follows:

  1. The City will need to set a final budget for the pool and will need to hire a design team and construction manager to engage in the formal design process. This process will turn the pool feasibility study’s preliminary conceptual design into final construction drawings that can be used to bid the aquatics center project. The tentative plan is to have final construction drawings completed by the spring of 2026.
  1. South St. Paul submitted a request to the State of Minnesota for up to six million dollars in state funding assistance through the 2026 Minnesota Capital Investment (Bonding) Bill. The City will know by the end of May whether the State Legislature is willing to contribute financially to the construction of the Northview Park Aquatics Center. Depending upon the success of that request, the City Council will act on a funding strategy to cover the balance of the project, which may include some level of financing the project through the issuance of general obligation debt by the City. Any local funds committed to the project are expected to involve a public hearing and a formal vote on a resolution for local financing of the project
  1. After the City learns how much the State Legislature is willing to contribute financially, the City Council will need to commit to covering the City’s share of the project. The City Council consensus at the July 14th Worksession was that they wanted to cover the City's portion of the cost by pursuing the issuance of general obligation Tax Abatement bonds. This process involves a public hearing and a formal vote on a resolution. At least 4 of the 7 City Councilmembers must vote “Yes” on the resolution to issue the bonds to pay for the City’s share of the project. Every $1 million dollars that the City borrows to build a new aquatics facility is anticipated (at current interest rates) to add roughly $10 to the annual property taxes of the median value home for the next 20 years. For example, an $8 million bond would mean that the owner of a $283,000 house would pay roughly $80 more in property taxes each year for a term of 20 years (the maximum term for general obligation debt). 
  1. Only Lorraine Park Splash Pool will open during the summer of 2026. Northview Pool will not open so that it can be demolished to prepare the site for the construction of the new aquatics center. Construction of the new aquatics center is tentatively planned to begin during the summer of 2026.
  1. The tentative plan is for construction of the new aquatics center to be completed sometime during the summer of 2027. If construction goes well, it is possible that the new aquatics center would be able to open during July of 2027 for a partial swim season.