Jasper pool draws 12,000 visitors as wellness center work advances

Jasper’s new municipal pool is opening its first summer with a strong crowd count, and city leaders are already treating it as an early test of whether the larger wellness campus can deliver on its promise. Park Department Director Tom Moorman told the Jasper Redevelopment Authority that the pool drew more than 12,000 visitors in its first three weeks, ahead of last year’s pace even with unsettled weather.

The city is also trying to stretch the pool’s value beyond daytime hours. Twilight swims began every Wednesday, giving families and working residents another chance to use the facility after normal hours. The city’s pool page lists 2026 admission at $5, age 4 and under free, with the pool open daily from noon to 7 p.m. and the season set to end Aug. 2. Season passes are sold out for 2026.

At the same Wednesday morning meeting, the authority approved change orders tied to the Taber Owens Construction Group contract for the pool project. The added work covered south slope modifications, parking undercut, rock excavation, concrete, lighting, clear flow pool equipment and floor coating, pushing the total contract price to $9,634,113. Moorman also said higher prices for private party bookings have cut into reservations, but not as sharply as some had feared, leaving the pool with clear public demand as the city watches revenue trends.

The meeting also dealt with a less visible but equally important piece of the city’s recreation buildout: parking. City attorney Renee Kabrick said a prior property transfer between the city and Jasper High School helped the school finish its parking lot and girls’ softball facility, while also giving the city a strip of land that can serve as an auxiliary drive for both the wellness center parking area and the softball lot. The board approved a shared-use parking agreement, a step meant to reduce congestion when events overlap at either site.

That planning reflects a broader project that has been years in the making. The City of Jasper and Tri-County YMCA said they began discussing a YMCA for Jasper more than a decade ago and formalized a partnership in early 2023. In April, the city announced a groundbreaking for the Regional Wellness Center at 900 W. 15th St., describing it as an approximately 70,000-square-foot facility owned by the city and operated by Tri-County YMCA. The site sits on about 10 acres next to Jasper High School and The Parklands, and city and project materials show the access plan includes shared roads and parking.

The pool’s early turnout does not settle the question of whether the broader investment is paying off, but it does give Jasper a concrete starting point. Attendance, private bookings and how well the shared parking plan holds up when crowds grow will shape the next phase of the project, along with whether the wellness center can turn civic spending into sustained use, traffic for nearby businesses and a stronger regional draw.