The Forest Oaks Swim and Racquet Club is set to undergo construction for a new pool and recreation center this fall, officials confirmed.
What’s happening?
Harris County Water Control Improvement District 110, which oversees the swim and racquet club in Spring, is replacing its almost 40-year-old facilities. As outlined in a master plan the district’s board approved in January, the first improvements will be made to the pool and recreation center.
The district will demolish its existing swimming pool, canopies and support buildings to replace it with a new pool, recreation center, equipment building, water slide and playground, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.
WCID110 District Manager Brian Mills said the decision was made after overall pool attendance and swim team involvement declined over the past few years.
“It just opens up so many doors for us that it really was a no-brainer that this is what we needed to prioritize as phase one,” Mills said.
Construction is set to begin Nov. 30, and Mills said the amenities will open by April 1, 2028, if not sooner.
The specifics
The upgraded pool will have a heating and chilling system, Mills said, which will allow the pool to open earlier and closer later each year. The current pool can reach temperatures upward of 85 degrees in the summer, Aquatics Manager Carlee Nava-Schmidt said.
The new pool will also have a zero-depth pool entry, Nava-Schmidt said, making it more accessible to users of all ages.
The new recreation building will include:
- Two outdoor showers
- Covered breezeway space
- New audio system
- Second floor viewing deck
- New event space
Mills said he hopes the new facilities will allow the district to expand programming to include water exercise classes and year-round swim programs. The goal for the recreation center is to double the fitness center’s size, he said.
The cost
The project is expected to cost $9.7 million, according to the TDLR filing.
That money will partially come from a 2024 voter-approved bond, which issued about $10 million to WCID110 for parks and recreation facilities, Mills said.
The bond will pay for the recreation building and its related costs, Mills said. But water districts cannot use bonds to pay for aquatics, according to Section 49.4645 (a) of the Texas Water Code.
The pool's costs will instead be covered from the district’s operating funds, he said.
“This is an expensive commitment,” Mills said. “We don’t take that lightly. Every single brick, every light bulb, every speaker that goes in, every toilet that gets installed is being installed with a purpose because we want to make sure that what we’re providing is gonna be as good as we can make it.”
