Fort Collins Approves 10-Lane Pool for Southeast Community Center

Fort Collins City Council voted 4-0 on November 3 to maintain a 10-lane indoor lap pool in the planned Southeast Community Center, responding to years of advocacy from competitive swimmers and families who have documented chronic overcrowding at existing municipal pools.

The decision came after multiple residents, including high school and club swimmers, testified about practice times beginning as early as 5:15 a.m. due to limited lane availability at the city's two indoor pools—Epic Adora Pool and Mulberry Pool.

"I've had multiple friends have to wake up before 5 a.m. to get to practice on time, not because their team wanted them to swim so early, but because that was the only time their team could get," said Ella Gesa Thiel, a swimmer at Fort Collins Area Swim Team and Fossil Ridge High School.

The Southeast Community Center represents a $76.5 million partnership between the city, Poudre School District and Poudre Libraries, funded primarily through the 2050 community tax approved by voters in November 2023. Council approved Resolution 2025-101 directing staff to proceed with funding, financing and construction, along with Ordinance 187 making a supplemental appropriation of $9.5 million for the project.

Two Decades of Capacity Constraints

Fort Collins has faced significant pool capacity shortages for at least 20 years, according to city planning documents. The city's Parks and Recreation Policy Plan in 2008 identified pressure on aquatics facilities, and advocacy from competitive swimming groups intensified throughout the 2010s.

Fort Collins Area Swim Team currently has more than 500 members and cannot recruit additional swimmers due to lack of pool space, according to public testimony. Six high school teams practice at Epic and Mulberry Pool, often sharing lanes with 10 to 15 swimmers per lane during peak hours.

"The competitive swim teams, high schools, dive teams and community programs are all vying for limited pool time," said Rebecca Schultz, a Fort Collins resident with two daughters who swim. "The SECC will greatly help meet this growing demand."

The city's ReCreate Parks & Recreation Master Plan, adopted in January 2023, identifies expanding aquatic facilities in the southeast as a high priority based on community requests and demonstrated overuse of existing pools.

Epic Adora Pool opened in 1985 and remains the primary indoor competition facility, serving competitive swimming, diving, water aerobics, scuba certification and recreational use. The facility frequently operates at or over capacity, according to city aquatics studies presented to council in early 2023.

Partnership Structure Addresses Historic Tensions

The Southeast Community Center operates under an intergovernmental agreement between the city and Poudre School District originally developed in August 2021, formalizing cost-sharing arrangements that address disputes dating to the 1980s.

During that earlier period, Fort Collins city government and Poudre School District disagreed over what constituted a "fair share" for school aquatics use, according to city historical records. The school district contended that student use benefited the broader community, while the city noted most capital costs were borne by city taxpayers.

The current agreement divides construction, operating and major maintenance costs based on expected use and negotiated terms, with the city retaining primary ownership and management while school district swim teams receive priority scheduling.

Council Member Kelly Ohlson noted during the meeting that even 14 years ago when he served on the Poudre School District Board of Education, requests for a pool were common. "Loveland High School had a pool at every high school and we didn't," Ohlson said. "This coming about is literally a dream come true for our swimmers."

The partnership model differs from approaches in neighboring communities. In Loveland, the Thompson R2J School District rents city pool time for practices and meets at Chilson Recreation Center but does not co-own or help fund construction, reflecting a transactional rather than partnership-based relationship.

Facility Components and Timeline

The Southeast Community Center will include a 10-lane indoor lap pool, outdoor leisure pool, gymnasium with two middle school-size courts, elevated indoor track, weights and fitness areas on two levels, drop-in child watch, staff offices and locker rooms.

The facility will also house innovation and community rooms operated through the partnership with Poudre Libraries, and will be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification for environmental sustainability.

The total project budget is $76.5 million, with funding coming from bonded 2050 tax revenue ($49 million), cash on hand from already-collected 2050 tax ($18 million currently appropriated plus $9.5 million approved November 3) and a state grant.

The funding structure will allow $5 million of additional Community Capital Improvement Program revenue to be appropriated for another purpose, which council members indicated should be dedicated to affordable housing. City Manager Kelly DiMartino said staff will prepare a resolution formalizing that intent for council's second reading of the appropriation ordinance.

Construction timelines were not specified during the November 3 meeting, though city staff indicated the project would move forward following council's approval of the funding resolution and appropriation.

Community Access and Location Strategy

City officials emphasized the Southeast Community Center advances Fort Collins' 15-minute city goals by providing recreation, library and aquatic services in an underserved area of the community.

The facility location near Fossil Ridge High School will allow southeast residents to bike or walk to amenities rather than driving across town to Epic or the Northside Aztlan Community Center.

"Having a facility like this will be a game changer for our community as we won't have to drive across town to the City Park pool or the Northeast Northern Rec center to play basketball," said Rebecca Schultz during public comment.

Multiple speakers, including youth advocates, testified about the facility's importance for serving lower-income residents who benefit from free library access and affordable recreation programming.

Fort Collins' population has grown from approximately 130,000 twenty years ago to more than 170,000 currently, with no corresponding increase in indoor lap swimming capacity during that period, according to city demographic data.

Questions about the Southeast Community Center can be directed to Fort Collins Community Services at 970-221-6655 or fcgov.com/recreate.