Upgrades to Belmont Complex pool could reach $1.3 M

Armstrong County officials may have to pump a lot of money into the Belmont Complex pool in East Franklin just to keep it afloat, according to a consultant from Pittsburgh.

During a sparsely attended meeting at the Belmont Complex on Tuesday, consultant Bob Good of Pashek Associates said county officials could spend between $875,000 and $1.3 million to upgrade the outdoor pool.

Officials say pool attendance has declined and has experienced consistent financial losses over the last five years.

“There hasn't been any real investment in the pool in the last 20 years,” Good said. “Right now, the pool is bigger than Armstrong County needs. But it would be a lot more expensive to downsize it rather than reconfigure the pool and add some features.”

Good has been studying the pool for several months as part of a $60,000 feasibility study. The study is being paid for with a 50-50 split between the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Armstrong County.

He has been analyzing pool attendance, studying its finances and surveying residents to determine what might attract more people.

2 options

• The first option, which includes new drainage, an upgraded filtration system, resurfacing the pool, a new water heater and new diving board, would cost about $875,000, Good said.

“Basically, that would leave it almost exactly how it is, but it would look all shiny and new,” Good said. “I don't know if that would be enough to make it an attraction.

“I'd imagine people would see it as the same old Belmont.”

• Good's second option comes with a $1.3 million price tag, Good said.

It would divide the pool into four distinct sections — by building walls to separate them.

The first section would include a cushioned surface leading into a very shallow children's area with splash zones and a small water slide.

The second section would be similar to the children's area, with several splash zones, but deeper water and an entrance into the pool's deep end.

The third portion would include a diving board and two slides, while the final area would have six lanes for swim meets and swimmers who simply want to swim laps.

Outside of the pool, the second option included new lounge chairs, lifeguard stands and tables.

More to consider

Before moving ahead with a plan, Good said county officials would need to secure funding, and suggested looking to state and federal programs to help offset the costs.

“It might take some local dollars to get started, but right now, there are a lot of recreation grants available,” Good said.

County officials agreed to the study after the pool's attendance sagged from nearly 20,000 in 2010 to 11,500 in 2014.

While the county saw a spike in attendance this year, when more than 14,000 visited the pool, the Belmont Complex still lost about $40,000 this summer, said director Gary Montebell.

“The pool industry has changed dramatically over the last several years and visitors are looking for amenities, like a splash park, slides or other attractions,” Montebell said. “Unless there is some kind of an upgrade, we won't get those visitors back. This has to become a destination if we want to draw people in.”

The county's three new commissioners, Democrats Pat Fabian and George Skamai, and Republican Jason Renshaw, attended the meeting and agreed something needs to happen to make the Belmont Complex churn a profit, or at least break even.

“We can't continue to let it operate under its current financial structure,” Skamai said.

Altmire said although Good's figures were daunting, the study was a first step toward making changes.

“It's a lot of money, but we need to make sure this place no longer loses money,” Renshaw said.

Fabian said he is waiting to see a final report from Pashek Associates, which is expected to be finished in mid-January, before making any final decisions. While the report focuses mostly on the pool, Fabian said he believes officials should also look at other areas of the Belmont Complex to drive visitors.

“Besides the pool, I think we could use this facility for other types of (summer) recreation than just swimming,” Fabian said. “There's a lot more to explore here.”

Brad Pedersen is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-543-1303, ext. 1337, or bpedersen@tribweb.com.