Cheney votes for the construction of a new city aquatics center

Cheney residents will get a new city pool.

Voters on Tuesday passed a $13 million dollar bond to build a new aquatics center, replacing one that was shuttered due to its poor condition.

The tax needed 60% support to pass, but it was receiving 67.1% in Tuesday’s count.

The new aquatics center will replace the 60-year-old facility that closed in 2020 due to compounding effects of the COVID pandemic and mechanical malfunction.

The old pool will be demolished to make room for the new one.

Community members were involved in designing the pool, with community surveys pulling in more than 500 responses.

The center is set to include a lazy river, water slide, lap pool and a special pool for small children and those with physical disabilities that uses a gradual sloping entrance.

City Councilman Paul Schmidt was involved in creating the survey for the community. He said the council just followed what the community asked for.

“I’m very pleased that our community just responded to what they were telling us in the survey,” Schmidt said Tuesday night. “That’s the way it’s supposed to work, and I’m very pleased it worked out the way it did.”