King County Council approves major $2,500,000 grant for new Covington Aquatic Center

September 6, 2023

The King County Council on Tuesday approved King County Parks Levy Grants, including a $2,500,000 grant towards a new Covington Aquatic Center.

“I am excited about the prospect of a new aquatic center in Covington, which will be a valuable recreational resource for over 150,000 individuals who live in the Tri Cities area,” said King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. “Our current aquatic center is in dire need of replacement, and this significant grant award makes that possible.”

Today’s Covington Aquatic Center, originally constructed in 1977, is at the end of its useful life due to deteriorating conditions and is increasingly at risk of a major building or equipment failure. In addition, the limited capacity of current aquatic center leads to many families and individuals who want to enjoy the pool being turned away. 

The $2,500,000 Aquatic Facilities grant was awarded to the City of Covington to help fund either the renovation and expansion of the existing Covington Aquatic Center or a replacement facility, subject to a study that is currently in progress. Early results of the study have ruled out the renovation and expansion option, so the City of Covington is now evaluating two new replacement facility options. 

City of Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner shared, "A new and improved aquatic facility will ensure that future generations continue to have access to a local indoor swimming pool and a diverse range of programming for all ages.”

The City of Covington expects to complete its analysis of the two new replacement facility options by the end of 2023. Early estimates indicate that a new facility, which will include an aquatic center as well as other recreation spaces will cost in the range of $70-$90 million. A funding program is being developed as part of the current study.

These competitive grant programs are part of the 2020-2025 Parks Levy and seek to assist public aquatic facilities through capital funding at any stage from feasibility studies through renovation and repair, as well as with open space acquisition, active recreation, passive recreation, and local trails.

On August 6, 2019, King, County voters approved a measure to renew the property tax levy supporting parks, trails, and open space in King County. The measure replaced the levy that expired at the end of 2019 and will generate an estimated $810 million over six years, costing approximately $7.60 per month for the owner of a home with an assessed property value of $500,000.