Heights Family Aquatics Center in Richardson
Lake Highlands was almost bypassed for a new aquatics center, but now that we’re in the City’s Phase I spending loop, we need a design.
If you’d like to share your ideas, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department (DPARD) will host a community meeting to gather neighborhood input on January 26th at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center. The new aquatics center will replace the current the current pool at the rec center.
“This is a really important meeting,” says Robb Stewart, Park Board rep from LH, “since ideas and thoughts at this meeting will be used to design the pool. Considering that the current pool was built in the 1960s, it may be a long time before LH has a similar opportunity again.”
Cash for Dallas’ aging aquatics programs is available due to DPARD’s sale of Elgin B. Robertson Park at Lake Ray Hubbard for $31.8 million. When LH wasn’t originally on the list of lucky neighborhoods, former Park Board President Joan Walne, City Councilman Adam McGough and other LH notables provided data to prove that Wildcats (1) use our pool more (200 swimmers per day), (2) run our program more efficiently (cost recovery of >61% from citizen fees), and (3) invest heavily in our program through community organizations. The Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League, Exchange Club and Women’s League have funded more than $500,000 in private programming, including the spray park, indoor playground, pavilion and rock play sculptures.
Plans call for a “Neighborhood Family Aquatic Center,” and no doubt the city will present their initial ideas. If you have a few ideas of your own, the meeting starts at 6:30.
Southside Aquatics Center, Spokane Washington
