A Feasibility Study to determine whether or not to replace the R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool is underway through a partnership between the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District and the City of Cañon City.
The study is being conducted by the architecture firm Ohlson Lavoie, in partnership with aquatics specialist Counsilman-Hunsaker and recreation consultant Ballard*King. These firms provide expert analysis, public engagement, and design recommendations to help communities create pool/aquatics facilities lasting for the next 50 plus years. Their recommendations are led primarily by community feedback and an examination of site locations, demographics, and sustainability.
On Wednesday, February 28th the public kickoff of the feasibility study starts at 5:30 pm at the Cañon City Middle School Auditorium at 1215 Main Street. Everyone is encouraged to attend this opening meeting. There will be a presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session with the experts. A website is currently being designed for the community to review options, take surveys, and find factual information about a potential pool replacement project. The website is being launched at the public meeting and those in attendance will see it first. Community surveys are two-phased, with the first one gauging the wants and needs of the community, and the second diving into pricing options and priorities to narrow down the focus of the project. In the end, the community will decide what a new pool will look like. The three firms conducting the study will use their extensive expertise to aid the decision-making process.
A variety of sources provided funding for this study. The Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District and the City of Cañon City have invested in this project both financially and with staff, board, and council support. Further funding assistance has been provided by a grant from the El Pomar Foundation, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, Newmont Mine Legacy Fund, and the former recreation center committee, Recreation Enhances our Community.
A committee was formed to help provide additional feedback to the consultants. Committee members represent a broad range of interests within our community. Joining Recreation District staff and board members and City staff and council members are individuals from Citizens for a Pool, Cañon City Schools, Golden Age Center, and a former Fremont County Commissioner. This committee is not making any final decisions on the pool, but simply providing comments to support the companies conducting the study as they seek feedback from a large cross-section of our community.
This feasibility study is the next necessary step in the long history of the R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool. Opened in 1966, this Recreation District facility provided summer outdoor fun for 57 years. However, in May of 2023, the difficult but necessary decision to permanently close the facility was made due to multiple mechanical and structural issues and problems with not being able to meet current commercial pool codes by the District. The Icabone Pool was originally designed to last 25 to 30 years. Thanks to dedicated boards and staff through the years its lifespan doubled. It served the community well but has outlived its useful life. According to multiple engineers and site audits, the facility cannot be repaired, it must be replaced. The current feasibility study will help us determine the needs and wants of the community as we look to move forward.
