photo by: City of Lawrence

This rendering shows the basic "preferred concept" design for the proposed renovation to the Outdoor Aquatic Center. The City Commission is scheduled to vote on a design on Tuesday night .

The Lawrence City Commission will be asked to choose a concept next week for a major renovation of the Outdoor Aquatic Center, which would cost at least $6.1 million and add a lazy river and other new water features.

As the Journal-World has reported, the city is planning to remove much of the current pool area of the center, at 727 Kentucky St., and replace it with a lazy river, splash pad and shallow pool. The City Commission is expected to choose one of three basic variations on this idea at its meeting on Tuesday.

One of the designs, simply called the “preferred concept” in a presentation included in the commission’s meeting agenda, would cost about $6.1 million, which is the amount the city has set aside for the project in its capital improvement plan. It would have 16,000 square feet of recreation area, but its total water area would be about 3,000 square feet smaller than the current configuration.

Two other designs will also be on the table, with more space and features but with costs that would fall outside of that original $6.1 million budget.

One of them would cost $7.3 million and would add 1,500 more square feet of recreation space by expanding the splash pad and recreation pool and adding a second waterslide. The other would cost $8.5 million and would have the second waterslide, an expanded lazy river and 2,000 more square feet of pool space than the basic “preferred concept.”

According to the presentation, the more expensive designs were added in response to public feedback about what residents would add if there were a larger budget.

Some of the decisions in the new designs have to do with issues that the firm Water’s Edge Aquatic Design found with the current pool area.

As the Journal-World reported in July, Jeff Bartley, an engineer with Water’s Edge, said his team found that the wading pool area and recreational pool had been the most in need of an upgrade, and that the wading pool “beach” section had been “sinking.” That’s why the new features would be built in that space.

Each of the designs would keep the deep dive pool, a 25-meter section of the lap pool and the water slide and plunge pool on the complex’s west side. The bathhouse will also be renovated, with a focus on upgrading the drainage of the space and increasing privacy features.

Each of the designs also would decrease the number of lifeguards needed to staff the center. The current space requires 17 lifeguards on duty, while the new design concepts would need just 15.

photo by: City of Lawrence

A concept for the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center shows a $7.3 million expanded design that includes a second waterslide.

photo by: City of Lawrence

A concept for the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center that includes a second waterslide and a longer lazy river is expected to cost $8.5 million.

In other business, the commission will:

• Receive an update on the city’s general fund and measures to reduce the anticipated budget deficit in the current fiscal year.

According to a memo, current forecasts for 2024 anticipate the city will not meet its original revenue projections, which will result in a deficit of approximately $6 million in the general fund.

To cover those costs, the finance department has reduced funding through cuts to certain departments for this year by $2.7 million. Along with that, the city is transferring an additional $1.26 million from other sources into the general fund. The city plans to use $2 million already in the general fund to cover the rest of the deficit.

• Consider awarding a $161,980 bid to Infrastructure Solutions LLC. for the Johnson Avenue storm sewer improvement project.

The project will add a new enclosed storm sewer system from the west side of Learnard Avenue to Burroughs Creek. The city memo said that previously, rain runoff from city streets and ditches would be drained through several backyards without proper drainage easements or infrastructure.

The city requests authorization for a contract total of $178,155.40 to allow contingency funds for the project. All of those funds were previously allocated for the project.