$33 million water park proposed in Pasco. It could open in 2-3 years

When Tri-Cities voters were asked in 2013 to support an aquatic center, two out of the three cities rejected the local sales tax.

A majority of Pasco residents favored building a water park in the Tri-Cities.

Pasco officials have never given up on that effort and, after years of planning and tweaking the blueprints, are ready to try again.

This time, the question would be posed to just residents of Pasco, which officials say is one of the fastest growing cities in the state with the youngest population.

The Pasco Public Facilities District is asking for approval from the Pasco City Council to move forward with a ballot issue this February.

The proposal will be discussed during tonight’s workshop meeting, which starts at 7:10 p.m. It is the first item on the Oct. 25 agenda.

The meeting can be viewed: in person in City Hall’s council chambers, 525 N. Third Ave.; broadcast live on PSC-TV Channel 191 on Charter/Spectrum Cable; or streamed online at www.pasco-wa.gov/psctvlive and on the city’s Facebook page.

The district board is looking at a $40 million, 25-year bond, which would cover the $33 million price tag for an aquatic center.

They want to ask voters to raise the local sales tax by two-tenths of a percent, with the tax money earmarked to repay bonds issued to fund the project.

That means, for example, a customer will be taxed 2 cents on a $10 purchase, 20 cents on a $100 purchase or $2 on $1,000.

Board president Mark Morrissette and Zach Ratkai, the city’s administrative and community services director, will give a presentation to the city on the project.

As proposed right now, the facility would be built in two phases — the first at nearly 47,000 square feet and the second just over 13,000 square feet.

It would be built on 4.61 acres south of Interstate 182 along Chapel Hill Boulevard.

The center in the first phase would include an indoor leisure pool, outdoor activity pool, party room, outdoor concessions and locker rooms.

It could be ready to operate in 2024, with 16 total full- and part-time workers.

The second phase is projected to be 12 to 15 years out with the cash balance from the bond. That phase would involve an indoor, eight-lane competition pool.

The regional effort in 2013 was designed to build a $35 million center on Sandifur Parkway in Pasco. But voters overall rejected a sales tax request from the Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District.

In 2019, Gov. Jay Inslee signed Pasco’s “vote to float” legislation amending state law to add aquatic centers to the public amenities that can be built by public facilities districts.

That change means the city of Pasco can move forward on its own and does not need to rely on Kennewick and Richland to help build a facility.

Check back for updates.

This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 6:20 PM.