Dive into aquatics center still source of debate

Spokane city parks officials have spent more than a year studying the community’s need for new swimming pools and have come up with a $45 million proposal through a citizen committee.

But now City Councilman Al French says he has a better idea.

He wants to form a new government body to build an indoor sports center, with an Olympic-size competition swimming pool, in the southeast portion of Franklin Park at Division Street and Queen Avenue at a cost of $15 million to $18 million.

Voters would have the final say on use of any park land and could also be asked to approve a funding plan, French said.

French said he isn’t trying to undercut efforts by the Parks Department and the Park Board, but parks still has two major projects dating back several years that have not been completed, including a proposed science center on the north side of Riverfront Park and a sports complex at Albi Stadium.

“I’m looking for ways to make things happen,” French said last week.

He said he plans to unveil his proposal publicly this week and place it on the council agenda for a vote on May 8.

Under French’s plan, the council would form a new public development authority, which would be given the task of developing and operating the community center. The center could include racquet courts, exercise class areas, a community meeting center, climbing wall, weight room and several types of pools, including a wave pool.

French said he has been talking about the community center for several years. He has recently been working to line up council support.

At least one councilman is skeptical that a community center could be operated without a subsidy from city tax funds. “Public facilities never make money, and I don’t believe this is an exception,” said Councilman Bob Apple, who characterized French’s plan as “a fool’s idea.”

Apple, who serves as the council’s liaison on the Park Board, said Franklin Park was ruled out as a possible location for an aquatics center by a citizen advisory committee that studied the issue.

“Al’s just trying to throw his two cents into the pot,” Apple said. “All Al’s doing is muddying the water.”

Apple speculated that French may be planning to run for mayor and is trying to seize an issue for a potential campaign next year, possibly against appointed Mayor Dennis Hession.

French declined to say whether he is planning to run for mayor next year, and he dismissed the suggestion that politics is the motivation behind the proposal.

Park Board member Steve McNutt said French’s plan will confuse the public because the Parks Department has been working to develop a swimming pool ballot measure that could go to the voters as early as this fall.

An Aquatics Citizens Advisory Committee last December recommended construction of an indoor aquatics center adjacent to Albi Stadium, replacement of Comstock Pool, refurbishing of other city pools and construction of new spray features at neighborhood parks.

McNutt said French’s plan “kind of confuses the issue and sort of divides the issue of aquatics.”

He said, “I applaud the advancement of aquatics, but I’m a little confused about the lack of coordination with all of the effort we have put into it.”

Northwest neighborhood residents said they are supporting construction of an aquatics center in conjunction with the previously approved sports complex at Albi. The sports complex project has been stalled at City Hall for several years.

Ann Warrington, a member of the Northwest Neighborhood Association, said a plan for the Albi improvements has been developed by design students at Washington State University in Spokane in what promises to be a competing proposal to French’s idea.