Photo Credit: Water Technology, Inc.
Today’s aquatic center has the potential to become an important part of a community, to improve the quality of life, and to provide recreation for “children of all ages and abilities.” Especially in today’s economy--when the family budget is already strained--the successful aquatic center is an inexpensive alternative to commercial recreation, and viewed as a pillar of the community, bringing focus to family values, neighborhood pride and wellness.
With families traveling fewer and shorter distances, the term “staycation” (a vacation taken at home) is commonplace, and there is a real demand for nearby recreation. A tremendous opportunity for municipalities exists to capitalize on the commercial market. Begin by educating the public on what you have to offer.
An aquatic center also can help bolster the economic conditions of an entire neighborhood. In Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County, the David F. Schulz Aquatic Center at Lincoln Park won the 2010 State Farm Insurance Building Blocks Award Large Project. The award recognizes outstanding development toward rebuilding neighborhoods, and is awarded by LISC Milwaukee, an organization that helps transform distressed urban neighborhoods into healthy communities. Previously, the park drew only from its immediate neighborhood. The new facility has a regional draw that brings outside residents into the pool, the neighborhood, as well as surrounding businesses. The residents have a new sense of pride that results in a sense of ownership and responsibility for the property.