Opening date moved for Tri-Cities 1st city water park. Take a look inside
The Pasco Aquatic Center will open in mid-June, with a new scheduled timed to coincide with the final days of school.
The Pasco Public Facilities District planned to open the $41 million venue earlier at Memorial Day.
Matt Watkins, director, said the schedule slipped slightly so lifeguards and other staff can be hired and trained to the manage the complicated collection of swimming pools, lazy rivers, hot tubs, splash pads and more.
With about four months to go before opening day, the center now has an official name: “Pasco Aquatic Center.”
The district held an online vote. Participants opted to keep things simple and name the aquatic center to honor the Pasco residents who agreed to a sales tax increase to pay for it.
With opening day coming into view, the facilities district and its contractor, Bouten Construction, are busy transforming the rough outlines of the building and concrete-lined holes into a public facility and pools. An average of 75 to 100 workers are on site every day.
Watkins and Rich Zoller, the project superintendent, gave the Tri-City Herald a tour of the busy construction site this week.
It was a behind-the-scenes look as workers prepared the pool for tile. In other spots, crews installed drywall, painted and worked on mechanical and other systems.
The pools are dry now but the indoor pool was filled temporarily and passed its water test, Watkins said.
Landscapers have started working on the site, as have contractors responsible for curbing, sidewalks and paving the parking lots.
The aquatic center includes a four-lane indoor swimming pool, with slides and a ninja course, an indoor children’s swim area, a lazy river with a beach-like entry to ease access for all users and a dramatic indoor-outdoor hot tub.
More than half of the amenities are indoors and the aquatic center will operate year round.
The Broadmoor area property includes enough space to add a competition pool and other amenities in the future as funds become available.
The Pasco Aquatic Center fulfills a long cherished dream of civic leaders to offer a modern aquatic facility to the community.
The public facilities district is a quasi public entity responsible for making it a reality.
In February 2022, Pasco voters approved a sales tax increase of 0.02% or 2 cents on a $10 purchase to pay for the center.
The measure passed by a margin of more than 8%.
Pasco is constructing the aquatic center on its own after a joint Tri-Cities vote failed in 2013.
The Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District proposed a sales tax measure to build an aquatic center. It passed in Pasco but failed because of opposition from voters in Kennewick and Richland.
Pasco opted to advance the idea on its own.
After the local measure passed, the facilities district hired Watkins, Pasco’s former mayor, to lead the development phase of the project.
The Pasco Aquatic Center is distinct from Memorial Aquatic Park, 1520 W. Shoshone St., the seven-lane public pool operated by the city.
The city recently installed a dome-like bubble structure so it can stay open during the cold weather months.
This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 6:15 AM.