A popular Iowa City swimming hole is getting a new roof.
The Mercer Aquatic Center’s roof will be replaced in the coming months at an estimated cost of $655,000. The current roof “has reached the end of its serviceable life,” a memo to the council said. The project will include a complete teardown of the existing roof and full replacement.
Bidding is expected to begin on July 1. The contract is then anticipated to be awarded on July 8, pending approval by the Iowa City City Council. City staff estimated that the pool would only be closed for a couple of weeks and work would be completed alongside routine maintenance.
Staff also set September 5 as the date to refill the pool in time for the girls’ high school swimming season.
All work is expected to be completed over the subsequent two months, with a completion date estimated for Sept. 12.
Other area pool spots remain open this summer
The Mercer closure joins City Park Pool, which is closed this summer as crews demolish and reconstruct the long-time outdoor facility. The new pool is set to open by Memorial Day weekend in 2026.
The Robert A. Lee Recreation Center is also home to an indoor pool and is open seven days a week. The pool begins serving patrons each day at 6:15 a.m., except on Sunday.
Coralville’s S.T. Morrison Park is home to an outdoor aquatic center while the city is also home to an indoor pool.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City’s Mercer Aquatic Center will likely close for roof replacement. Find out when:
Reporting by Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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