A new swimming pool proposal that has been in the talking stage for more than a year in Las Cruces may be on the verge of becoming reality.
City officials say work could begin by early next year on a nearly 36,000 square-foot natatorium that will go up in the 1400 block of Hadley Avenue near the current Las Cruces Regional Aquatic Center.
The project is expected to cost around $15.2 million to build and is being designed by ASA Architects, which has offices in Las Cruces.
Initial renderings of the natatorium show a modern glass-wall facility that will house a 50-meter by 25-yard pool, with the deepest end of the pool reaching ten feet and the shallow side around 4 feet, 6 inches deep.
The project, with a rough 18-month construction schedule, is expected to go out for bid sometime in October.
Las Cruces officials say the new facility is intended to replace the Frenger Pool, which is located at 800 Parkview Drive and was one of city’s first large public swimming facilities built in the early 1950s.
Those same officials say the Frenger Pool is out of date and has periodically been closed due to equipment malfunctions.
By Garry Boulard
