Four options surface for future aquatics center

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | May 2025

Northview Pool and Lorraine Splash Pool are both at the end of their useful life and the South St. Paul City Council is developing plans for a new aquatic facility to be built somewhere in the city, with a final recommendation slated to be made by the end of the year following additional community feedback. A feasibility study completed by a consultant last year estimated that building a new outdoor aquatics center would cost about $7 million, and an indoor facility $11 million. The Parks Master plan has two primary options for the future of the aquatics program: replace Northview Pool and make updates at the Lorraine Splash Pool or consolidate both at a new aquatics facility at Lorraine Park. A parks referendum is expected to be on a future election ballot and, if passed, would support the creation of the new facility. In fact, four referendum options may be on the ballot, each proposing a different plan.

An open house held in March laid out what those options could be. Each would also pay for immediate repairs and improvements to any park that would be losing an existing pool.

Referendum option #1 – Build a new indoor aquatics center at Jefferson Park, and a basketball court, skate park, restroom building and playground at Northview Park. This $13.3 million option would add about $134 to the annual property taxes of a median value home of $283,000.

Referendum option #2 – Build a new outdoor aquatics center at Northview Park, and pickleball courts, a picnic shelter, new restroom building and skate park at Lorraine Park. This $9 million option would add roughly $190 to the annual property taxes of a median value home.

Referendum option #3 – Build a new outdoor aquatics center at Jefferson Park; a basketball court, skate park, restroom building and playground at Northview Park; and pickleball courts at Lorraine Park. This $9.5 million option would add approximately $95 to the annual property taxes of a median value home.

Referendum option #4 – Build a new outdoor aquatics center at Lorraine Park, and a basketball court, skate park, restroom building and playground at Northview Park. This $9.2 million option would add about $92 to the annual property taxes of a median value home.

The calculated tax increases (expected to last for 20 years) are based on no other funding sources secured for the project. However, the city is already seeking state grant funding, and, if awarded, the tax increases could be lower. Northview Pool, built in 1956, and Lorraine Splash Pool, built in 1993, are both scheduled to open June 13. Attendance has been about 10,000 a year between the two facilities since 2022. In 2001, voters rejected a two-part referendum that would have spent $3.3 million to build a new full-sized pool at Lorraine Park and $1.1 million to renovate Northview Pool. Consequently, Lorraine Park no longer has a full-sized swimming pool and Northview Pool has been kept running using short-term maintenance solutions on a year-to-year basis. It has been losing 6,000 to 12,000 gallons of water per day due to cracks in the failing concrete shell.

The South St. Paul City Council adopted its new park system plan last fall, laying out improvements to be made at parks across the city over the next two decades. Top priorities for the next five years are replacing the playgrounds at Grandview Park, Jefferson Park and Spruce Park; replacing the playground and parking lot at Kaposia Park; replacing the playground and planting trees at Veterans Field; replacing the parking lot, boat ramp and trail at the DNR boat launch; and planting trees at Kaposia Landing.

Playground replacements are expected to happen first. The City applied for a matching grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to help cover costs for a new accessible playground at Lorraine Park. It expects to know at the end of June if the grant is received. If awarded, construction on the estimated $368,000 project could begin this fall or in spring next year. The project includes planting 20 trees and creating additional access trails.

See this article for summer park improvement projects in the West Side, West St. Paul & Mendota Heights
See this article for summer park improvement projects in Downtown St. Paul

• Facebook
• ShareCopied to clipboard

<<< Back to Home