Costs are rising again for a new city-owned outdoor pool complex in Worthington, with the project now expected to cost millions more than originally anticipated.
Worthington now says the pool project will cost $19 million, once all the bells and whistles are included.
Worthington voters approved $11.4 million in bonds in November 2024 to replace the existing aging facility next to Thomas Worthington High School with the new complex. The city pledged an additional $4 million, making the entire project $15.4 million.
City council learned earlier this year that the overall base price had increased to $17.6 million amid worker shortages and tariff uncertainties.
Then, on Dec. 1, council opted to include several additional features in the project. The “alternates,” as they are referred to in city documents, include a splash pad, a second water slide and bench seating in one of the pools.
The additional features add another $1.1 million to the bill — and the project’s base cost has grown by about $300,000 since earlier this year. This brings the total cost now to $19,038,619.
Most council members agreed that the investment in the new pools should last for multiple decades.
“I think we would be doing a disservice to ourselves and future generations by not including all these alternates to begin with, especially (since) we have this chance right now and it’s something we can invest in now,” said Council President Rachael Dorothy.
Council member David Robinson abstained from the final vote on the funding. Robinson said he supports public pools in Worthington, but said, “I don’t want to be on record for supporting this process.”
Paying for all the alternates means an additional $75,000 in debt service annually for the next 20 years, which staff recommended bundling into an upcoming bond that will also include the extra cost discussed in July, City Manager Robyn Stewart told the city council.
The price is not expected to increase anymore, unless anything else comes up that is not in the construction documents, Stewart said. There are also contingency funds included in the overall budget to address unexpected expenses.
Construction is expected to start in early January 2026 and the pool will be closed during the upcoming summer season, city spokesperson Anne Brown said in an email. The project is expected to be done by the start of the 2027 season.
A local nonprofit, Swiminc, could continue leasing and operating the pool space. A public hearing is set for Dec. 8 to discuss the new 20-year agreement, which waives annual lease payments of $10,000 until 2031.
Robinson alleged in a September 2024 blog post that Swiminc lost its American Red Cross lifeguard training accreditation. However, Swiminc said Robinson’s claims were false and politically motivated. A lifeguard instructor was terminated, the organization said, but it still had its broader lifeguard certification agreement.
Anna Lynn Winfrey covers the northwestern suburbs for the Columbus Dispatch. She can be reached at awinfrey@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Worthington pool complex costs going up again, now topping $19M
Reporting by Anna Lynn Winfrey, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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