Decisions on problem-child Memorial Pool coming soon

Parks rec boss asks the big question: How much?

This week, the La Crosse city council begins tackling the immediate and possibly long-range future for the old Memorial Pool.

With that, there are plenty of challenges, says city park and rec director Steve Carlyon. Not the least of which is the major league the 78-year-old pool at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has.

“We’re losing 7,500 gallons of water a day, and it’s going somewhere,” Carlyon said. “I’m not sure where it’s going.”

Another issue is whether to fund a $20,000 study on the pool to determine whether it should be repaired or replaced.

The study should also help answer the big question, or questions that’s on everyone’s mind.

“We’ve got some asbestos and some lead contaminants in the pool area,” Carlyon said. “We’re trying to figure out, is it a $200,000 fix? Is it a $150 fix? Is it a $2 million fix?”

Carlyon has shown a preference for replacing old facilities with new ones since he’s headed the park department. He could recommend that very thing to the city council.

The one thing he’s sure to push for is some kind of something that holds water

“I think we’re all in agreement, we’d like a pool,” he said. “I want a swimming pool.”

And, more specifically, he’d like to see the city have an outdoor lap pool.

“We could use a really nice outdoor pool,” he said. “The other two pools, I call them amusement park pools. They’re good, but they’re not quite the same.”

This week, a city committee votes on funding a study to determine the future of Memorial Pool. The full council votes on the issue next week.