Wheat Ridge council approves pursuit of up to $8.9 million grant for pool replacement
The competitive federal grant could cover up to half of eligible costs, but staff estimates a 10% to 25% chance of receiving it and warns it could delay construction.
Wheat Ridge City Council approved Sept. 14 an application seeking up to $8.9 million in federal funding to replace the city’s outdoor pool. Staff estimates the city has a 10% to 25% chance of receiving the competitive grant.
The council’s approval of Resolution 42-2026 authorizes the city to pursue funding through the federal Outdoor Recreation and Legacy Partnership program. The grant could cover up to 50% of eligible project costs, according to city staff’s presentation to the council.
The requested amount implies a preliminary eligible-project estimate of about $17.8 million and a potential nonfederal share of roughly $8.9 million. Those figures are derived from the grant request and the program’s matching limit; the council did not adopt a final replacement cost or commit local funding.
Staff said the city could seek the remaining share through other grants and a proposed 1% sales-and-use-tax measure that voters will consider Nov. 3. The measure had not been approved when the council authorized the grant application.
Brandon Albert, the city’s deputy parks and recreation director, said design work had only recently begun and construction costs were not yet firm. “We are using the high end of the estimate range to try and secure the highest possible matching dollars for the project,” Albert said. He said the city would not request the full amount if the project ultimately cost less.
Without the grant, staff said design could finish around June or July 2027, allowing demolition after the Carnation Festival in mid-to-late August. Construction would take roughly 10 months, with the pool potentially reopening around July 1 or July 4, 2028.
If the city receives the grant, federal and state contracting requirements could delay construction by about a year. Staff said those requirements could take four to six months, or possibly up to a year, before the state contracts with the city. The National Park Service is expected to announce grant awards around May 1, 2027.
The city began design work under contracts approved Aug. 24. Staff also described an alternative schedule that would postpone demolition until after Labor Day 2027, costing the city a full pool season before reopening about a year later.