Lawton’s new aquatics center to break ground today

A new recreational amenity that City of Lawton officials intend to ramp up water play will break ground Tuesday.

City Council members have been discussing the new aquatics center for more than a year, as a way to give Lawton youth better water recreation opportunities while enticing those outside the city to come to Lawton to play. The center is one of the largest amenities planned for Elmer Thomas Park in a master plan crafted by Halff Associates to make better use of the acres contained within Lawton’s largest park.

Council members said it also gives them an option for the aging and deteriorating municipal pool in Mattie Beal Park, a facility that needs extensive and expensive upgrades if the city wants to keep it open.

That’s where the 42,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility comes into the equation.

J.D. Clark, an architect for the design firm Guernsey, said the facility will have multiple components, including two pools. One pool is a zero-entry area (similar to a beach), a section for young children and families, a lap pool and a diving well with family-friendly features. The second pool will feature a lazy river (a water feature that winds through the complex), with a slide, a sports pool, and a plunge pool for adults. Those two pools can accommodate up to 568 people, Clark said.

Amenities will accompany the water features. A surrounding pool deck will offer shaded areas and lounging spots, with room for parties and other events near the concession area. Clark said the facility is divided into two sections: a concession/office area that can be open year-round to serve the entire park; and a bathhouse area with changing facilities and site for pool equipment. The concessions area will have multiple windows: two serving the aquatics center and a third to serve Elmer Thomas Park as a whole.

The bathhouse will feature two family restrooms accessible directly from the pool deck, and men’s and women’s changing rooms/showers near the center’s entrance. The men’s facility will feature 12 fixtures and showers, while the women’s area will have 11 fixtures and 12 showers. In the off-season, Clark said the facility can continue to be an amenity for Elmer Thomas Park at large after the city shuts down the swim complex and showers.

Water features and other amenities were selected deliberately, based on community feedback, Clark said.

“The goal is to create sustained interest and movement throughout the complex, ensuring its long-term success,” he said, adding that such amenities have been successful in other communities.

He said the facility also is designed to appeal to all ages.

For example, senior citizens in other communities use their lazy rivers for low-impact walking during the morning hours that typically are limited to specific activities, meaning such patrons won’t have to compete with those floating on the river. While that slow moving river can appeal to families, adjoining pools will entertain teens and young adults. Teens also may find the sports pool entertaining, while young adults may enjoy the plunge pool, Clark said.

“The combination of the slide complex and lazy river, along with the additional features connected to it, makes this a popular attraction for all age groups, and sets it up for great success,” he said.

While the initial plan was to open the facility Memorial Day Weekend 2025, council members have since conceded the late start date for construction will move that opening. The goal now is the Fourth of July Weekend 2025.

Clark said Miller-Tippens Construction is scheduled to mobilize on site the last week of September, with construction beginning shortly thereafter. Completion is projected by July 1, 2025.

While the new aquatics center won’t open until July, city officials still plan to open their popular splash pad — adjacent to the aquatics center — Memorial Day Weekend, its traditional start date. That splash pad will remain separate from the pool because its amenities are free. There will be a fee to use the aquatics center, city officials said.