Parks board talks indoor pool possibility

By Geoffrey Woehlk | November 21, 2025 |

MPR/WATERS EDGE
SCENARIO 2

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Though Maryville Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Stubblefield cautioned any major pool redesign or new aquatic center project wouldn’t start in earnest for at least five years, the MPR board reviewed early concepts of indoor and outdoor pool solutions on Monday to prepare for the future.

Waters Edge Aquatic Design presented the board with five preliminary plans and cost estimates during the board’s regular meeting. The design firm utilized data from a 2024 community survey along with periodic feedback from MPR staff as the process has moved along since the company was engaged in 2023 to work on long-term aquatic center solutions.

The conceptual, high-level plans presented during the meeting fell into three buckets: repair the current aquatic center, repair or upgrade the current aquatic center, and build an indoor pool at the Maryville Community Center.

Scenario 1 – Repair current facility

The cheapest option would be to repair the existing aquatic center at Beal Park, setting it up for another 20-30 years of useful life. Waters Edge estimated the cost at about $3-$3.5 million. In this scenario, no upgrades or additional amenities would be included, just repairs. Stubblefield said this option wouldn’t necessarily require waiting until more of MPR’s bonding capacity becomes available again in 2030.

Scenarios 2 and 3 – Repair and upgrade current facility

Waters Edge provided two options for upgrading the current facility, both with an estimated $9-$10 million price tag. Both scenarios would completely rebuild the pool, renovate the pool house and add several amenities. Scenario 3, an alternate concept, would have two fewer lap lanes, larger zero-depth entry and no diving boards. Kyle McCawley, senior project manager at Waters Edge, said the firm provided that option because diving boards didn’t score highly on the community survey.

Scenarios 4 and 5 – Indoor pool at MCC

Waters Edge provided two options for an indoor facility as an addition to the Maryville Community Center. Both scenarios would also add a pickleball court and volleyball court to the community center, but would come with significant cost challenges up front and significantly increased operational costs that would more than double, Stubblefield said. Scenario 4 would include one body of water indoors with a total cost of between $17-$19 million, Waters Edge estimated. Scenario 5 would have two separated bodies of water: a leisure natatorium and a competition natatorium. That would come with an estimated price tag of between $20-$25 million.

Most of the discussion at the meeting centered around the feasibility of an indoor pool, which would come with a hefty price tag estimated between $17-$25 million, significant increases to operating costs and uncertainty about staffing and clientele. Any indoor pool option would almost certainly mean shutting down the outdoor pool as well.

“… people aren’t utilizing what we have, and we don’t know exactly what the reason is,” said Kristy McLain, recreation and aquatic supervisor. “Is it because it’s outdated? Is it because no one wants to come to the pool? Is it staffing? Is it because of our location?

“That’s what I’m kind of confused about, because we don’t have the money to put into the pool we have, which then tells me, how are we going to be able to afford — and manage and run — an indoor pool? Because we’re just running with what we got, we just limp ’er through every year because this is what we have to do and this is what we deal with.”

Meeting those challenges, multiple board members said, would require increased fees along with expanded programming targeted at users who would be more likely to come to the pool year-round, like seniors, patients rehabbing injuries and corporate sponsorships.

“When you’re looking at an indoor facility, I mean, you’re marketing consistently to totally different people, a totally different environment,” said board member Mitch Coffelt. Coffelt said much of that focus would probably need to go toward large local employers to get their employees to take part in programs at the pool that would generate revenue.

“Recreational is a big chunk of our outdoor piece,” said board member Buddy Mayfield. “With an indoor facility, recreational would be a smaller part of that.”

Currently, high school and college students mostly serve as lifeguards. But at a facility that operates year-round, that would also likely need to change. Staff members have said previously they’re not sure there’s much of an applicant pool for that kind of job.

Ultimately, the board is still in very preliminary discussions and gathering information. Board members didn’t make any decisions regarding the future of the pool, which remains a long way off no matter what plan is selected.

Stubblefield said that MPR doesn’t have nearly enough bonding capacity right now to pay for a new or upgraded pool, whether it’s indoors or outdoors. Any plan is at least five years away from going to voters, when a 20-year bond levy for the community center sunsets. But the board is planning to go through the concepts now to vet them before proceeding down the line.

Other MPR notes

Stubblefield said the Sunrise Bark Park dog park is only waiting on electricity to be fully operational, and that is expected to be ready soon.
1,017 people paid for tickets at the Christmas Craft and Vendor Fair on Nov. 15.
The board approved finishing rubber flooring in the weight room at the community center.
Board members approved a $68,568.31 agreement with AB Creative to remove the mulch at the Thomson Splash ‘N’ Play and replace it with turf. The mulch was getting into the filters too often and will be redistributed to other parks.
The board approved a $44,504 purchase of a 2026 F-250 pickup from Tri-State Ford Lincoln in Maryville for use by maintenance crews. The truck will replace a Chevrolet pickup from 2000.