New $5 million aquatics center coming to Boise, prestigious competition already booked
The Greater Boise Auditorium District has approved a new competitive swimming center. Expected to open next spring, the project is already receiving interest from swimmers.
In June, auditorium district board members unanimously voted to use $5 million in hotel tax money to build the aquatics center. Located north of the Boise Airport at 3575 S. Findley Ave., the Greater Boise Aquatics Centre will be a 320-foot by 125-foot building. Its main features will include a 50-meter pool with eight to 10 lanes surrounded by spectator bleachers and a 25-yard warm-up/therapy pool.
The pools will be indoors, though the building will have paneled sides that can open in warmer months.
“What we’ve designed is the ability for this building to open up on all sides … so it really will look, certainly in the summertime, like you’re in an outdoor pool,” Ryan Stratton, a member of Idaho Competitive Aquatics, said in a board workshop.
Unlike the new South Meridian YMCA pool, this aquatic center will focus on high-level competitive swimming. Swim teams will pay user fees to access it.
The project was proposed in November by Idaho Competitive Aquatics, a new business that promotes competitive swimming opportunities in the Treasure Valley.
The auditorium district board then hired sports consulting firm Conventions, Sports & Leisure International to evaluate the project. The company found it to be financially sound and likely to offer a strong return on investment. Jim Walker, an auditorium district director, called the aquatics center “a win for us and the stakeholders.”
“I think this is one of the lowest-risk projects we’ve ever evaluated,” Walker said.
The Auditorium District board, which is funded through a 5% hotel tax, develops local spaces that promote economic growth and serve community needs.
The Greater Boise Aquatics Centre will cost an estimated $5 million, with $1.9 million spent to purchase the Findley Avenue property and $3.1 million on construction. The district will build and own the facility. Idaho Competitive Aquatics will lease and operate the business.
“This looks to me like the kind of public-private partnership that the voters expected us to look at,” Jody Olson, vice chair of the district board, said at a workshop discussion.
Idaho Competitive Aquatics announced that it had booked the Greater Boise Aquatics Centre’s first youth swim meet competition after successfully winning the bid for the western section of the USA Swimming competition in July 2023. The latter meet is expected to bring millions of dollars to the community.
The meet will include 700 children, only 20 of whom will be local, according to Stratton. With so many children, parents and coaches coming from out of town, the four-day swim meet is expected to generate more than 2,000 hotel night stays and around $2 million in revenue to local businesses.
“We’re excited for that 2023 meet, and we’re going to keep putting our name out there for other bids as well,” Stratton said.
Sally Krutzig covers Treasure Valley growth and development. Have a story suggestion or a question? Email Krutzig at skrutzig@idahostatesman.com.
