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Editorial: The swim center shuffle

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Comments (7)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

(Updated 9:22 am)

The city's new aquatics center is still afloat, thanks to a 7-1 vote of confidence Tuesday night by the City Council.

Specifically the council voted to fill a $6 million funding shortfall with certificates of participation financed by hotel-occupancy tax revenues.

Given the substantial promise of the planned facility, which will be built as part of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, perhaps we ought to be cheering.

Maybe later. Right now it's hard to feel anything but had.

The problem here isn't so much the what as the how. If the council had done its homework, it should have been plain to see that the $12 million earmarked for the swim center in a 2008 bond package probably wasn't going to be enough. For instance, Wake County's privately built swim center cost $25 million to build in 2007. Other experts cited price tags for similar facilities that typically exceeded $12 million.

As it stands now, Greensboro's new swim center will cost a total of $17.4 million even after city staff scrambled to whittle the price through "value engineering" -- and even during a period in which construction prices are supposed to be relative bargains.

What's more, while the price tag has steadily risen over the years for taxpayers, it has mysteriously shrunk for private partners. The first of two previous failed swim center bond campaigns in 2000 included a pledge of $1 million from the local swim community.

That same community has pledged $250,000 in 2009.

Giddy swim center boosters who lined up Tuesday night to sing the facility's praises were missing the point.

The question is not the appeal of the swim center as an economic generator or a community amenity or a need in a city where existing pools are cramped and crumbling. Nor is it the value of the facility to the struggling High Point Road area.

The problem here is the process, not the product.

Even if this wasn't intended as a bait-and-switch proposition, it certainly feels that way -- like a too-good-to-be true credit card offer whose real costs lie in the fine print.

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Jeremiah

November 19, 2009 - 5:35 am EST

Bad decisions and a lack of accountability like the swim center situation are why good bonds like the Natural Science Center have a hard time getting traction and have critics. Who or what won't get funded now that so much bed tax will be diverted?

igliigli

November 19, 2009 - 5:57 am EST

The swim center project should be canceled and the money used for classroom repairs.

lexalexander

November 19, 2009 - 10:32 am EST

City bond money can't be used for the public schools, which are funded by the state and county, not the city. Not sure off the top of my head whether hotel/motel tax revenue could be used for schools, but I don't think so.

marchlady59

November 19, 2009 - 10:20 am EST

Where were all of you on city council night? You don't even know the half of the sham of this swim/acquatic center. The more you hear about it, the madder every one should be who is going to have to bear the burden of this project and who was duped into believing that this facility was "for the kids". Yeah, but they are not your kids. They even talked about being the replacement for a crumbling swim center in Florida. wonder why ii's crumbling - expensive upkeep? We are only looking at the cost for building - no one is talking about the upkeep. Since it was switched from Parks & Rec to the Coliseum - is the coliseum going to maintain it and at what cost? Another budget increase for the coliseum who won't fix the auditorium? The voters spoke twice about not paying for a competitive swim center - so they took the word "competitive" out of the bond. Since it is not under Parks & Rec - wonder how much it will cost to swim there - provided you can even get in once all the competitions and tournaments have taken place. This really is a serious issue and during these economic times doesn't make sense to pursue.

Beachwalk

November 19, 2009 - 12:51 pm EST

You are 100% right on this. The plug should be pulled on the swim center. There really shouldn't have been a question about pulling the plug. When the project comes in at more than 50% of the original price, the voters should have the right to look at the issue again. This is a case of those in favor of the project playing a bate and switch game with the voters. There is no way they could have missed the price by over $6,000,000.00. The wool has been pulled over the voters eyes.

oh good grief

November 19, 2009 - 10:53 am EST

We have a "Magic Kingdom" over on Lee Street. And guess who the king and prince of that "kingdom"enterprise are: Matt Brown and his minion/cohort Robbie Perkins (wonder if Robbie will be upset that he is only "prince" and that "minion" was the first choice of a word to describe him).

Here's an idea for improved public relations between the Coliseum "Complex" (how apt) and citizens of Greensboro who pay property taxes. How about if taxpayers brought a copy of their City property tax bill to the Coliseum for an event and received a piece of candy as a reward for being a "supporter" of the Coliseum. I can see the headlines now -- "Coliseum to Show Appreciation in a 'Suckers for Suckers' Giveaway."