Lawton’s new aquatics center could be open by Memorial Day 2025, designers say

Lawton youths could be playing in a new pool by Memorial Day 2025.

While that new aquatics center is more than a year away, work already has begun on the project that City Council members have been debating for months: building a water recreation facility on the east side of Elmer Thomas Park. The new center would expand the variety of recreational amenities already available in that area of Lawton’s largest park — which include the city’s largest spray park — while replacing aging pools that badly need modernization and repairs. The final decision hasn’t been made on the existing municipal pool and three wading pools. Council members have indicated they like they idea of building a mid-sized aquatics center that will feature a swimming pool, amenities that other park users can enjoy (such as a concession stand) and, potentially, a lazy river and slides.

Council members formally signaled their support in mid-December by agreeing to expand their contract with long-time consulting engineers C.H. Guernsey. The firm was given a $76,600 contract in November to do schematic designs, a contract that was expanded Dec. 12 to include construction designs and related documentation. The additional work takes the final design cost to $830,085.

“We need to proceed now, if you want to meet the Memorial Day 2025 opening,” said J.D. Clark, senior architect with Guernsey.

Guernsey outlined a timeline in November setting that 2025 opening if the construction contract was awarded in July 2024. That means proceeding with construction designs and related work now, with a completion date in March so permitting and bidding can be done through June and July, under Guernsey’s timeline. Guernsey estimated a $12 million project in its schematic phase, to include $10,025,856 in construction costs. Alternative 1, the lazy river, is estimated at $6,388,896.

Guernsey architects deliberately selected their spot in the park, Clark said, explaining that site south of the splash pad has multiple benefits: the land is flat, there is room for expansion and it is highly visible outside the park. 

“Financially, it’s the most responsible,” Clark said of the location, adding the site will easily hold the swimming pool, lazy river and related buildings holding activities ranging from changing rooms, bathrooms and offices, to a concession stand.

The concession stand windows will face the park, meaning it can be used year-round, as can the bathrooms.

Kevin McElyea, lead designer/owner of Aquatic Design Consultants, said this aquatics center can be used by the City of Lawton for the foreseeable future. He said the pool will be large enough to offer swimming lap lanes that also can be used by swim teams, with a toddler and youth area located in another area. He said the pool and buildings will be the primary component in base bid; the lazy river (a canal filled with water that “wanders” through the center) will be bid as an alternate. While attractive to families, the lazy river has other uses, such as use by senior citizens doing water walk exercises, McElyea said.

Ward 8 Councilman Randy Warren, who is supporting the proposal, said approval of design work allows the project to continue.

“You can get it done by 2025,” he said, of amenities council members have been discussing as a means of expanding recreational opportunities for families.

If the final project is approved, funding for construction could come through the recreational category within the 2019 Capital Improvements Program.