Marion Franklin Pool Reopening Delayed to 2027 Swim Season
Columbus City Council approved $200,000 for extended construction management after state regulatory reviews and post-design changes moved completion from May 2026 to May 2027.
The Council of the City of Columbus passed emergency legislation modifying an existing contract with CTL Engineering, Inc. for the Marion Franklin Pool Replacement Project in the amount of $200,000. Under the modification, the completion date moved from the original project completion date of May 24, 2026, to a modified project completion date of May 28, 2027. According to municipal records, pool demolition began at the end of the 2025 swim season and the facility will reopen for the 2027 swim season. City records identify the Far South as the area affected by the project.
The Marion Franklin Pool has served the community for more than 50 years and needs major renovations to improve its efficiency and safety. The replacement project includes a new multi-feature pool and bathhouse renovations to make the facility more accessible to people of various ability levels.
According to Columbus Recreation and Parks Department filings, the project was delayed because of post-design operational needs that staff did not identify until after construction started. The department also cited regulatory delays with the Ohio Department of Health.
To address the lengthened schedule, the legislation authorizes the city to modify its agreement with CTL Engineering, Inc. for extended construction management and inspection services. The legislation provides $185,568.33 with a contingency of $14,431.67, authorizing a modification total of $200,000. The city previously legislated $446,124 for the pool replacement project, and the new measure brings the aggregate total authorized to $646,124.
To provide budget authority for the contract, the measure amends the capital improvements budget by reducing Marion Franklin Community Center improvements by $200,000, lowering its remaining authority from $1,341,700 to $1,141,700, and adding $200,000 for Marion Franklin Pool Replacement. According to city records, the emergency action is requested in order to keep the project on schedule to be completed by the 2027 swim season.
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Supporting evidence (13)
The Council of the City of Columbus passed emergency legislation modifying an existing contract with CTL Engineering, Inc. for the Marion Franklin Pool Replacement Project in the amount of $200,000.
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WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to modify the existing contract with CTL Engineering, Inc. in order to keep the project on schedule to be completed by the 2027 swim season, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: SECTION 1. That the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department be and is hereby authorized to modify an existing contract CTL Engineering, Inc. for the Marion Franklin Pool Replacement Project. The modification amount being authorized by this ordinance is $200,000.00.
Under the modification, the completion date moved from the original project completion date of May 24, 2026, to a modified project completion date of May 28, 2027.
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The original project completion date of the project was May 24, 2026. The modified project completion date, as a result of the proposed modification, will be May 28, 2027.
According to municipal records, pool demolition began at the end of the 2025 swim season and the facility will reopen for the 2027 swim season.
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Demolition of the Marion Franklin Pool began at the end of the 2025 swim season and will reopen for the 2027 swim season.
City records identify the Far South as the area affected by the project.
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Area(s) Affected: Far South (64)
The Marion Franklin Pool has served the community for more than 50 years and needs major renovations to improve its efficiency and safety.
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The Marion Franklin Pool has been serving the community for more than 50 years. It is in need of major renovations to improve its efficiency and safety.
The replacement project includes a new multi-feature pool and bathhouse renovations to make the facility more accessible to people of various ability levels.
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The project will include replacing the pool with a new multi-feature pool and renovating the existing bath house. These improvements will allow the pool to be more accessible to people of various ability levels along with implementing requests received during the public outreach activities of the Aquatic Capital Improvement Plan.
According to Columbus Recreation and Parks Department filings, the project was delayed because of post-design operational needs that staff did not identify until after construction started.
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Why Additional Services Were Not Foreseen: This modification is needed to accommodate operational impacts that departmental staff did not realize were needed until after the design was complete and construction had started.
The department also cited regulatory delays with the Ohio Department of Health.
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The overall project has been delayed due to unrealized operational needs at the time of design and unforeseen delays in the regulatory process with the Ohio Department of Health.
To address the lengthened schedule, the legislation authorizes the city to modify its agreement with CTL Engineering, Inc. for extended construction management and inspection services.
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This modification is required in order to extend the duration of necessary construction management and inspection services.
The legislation provides $185,568.33 with a contingency of $14,431.67, authorizing a modification total of $200,000.
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The modification amount is $185,568.33, with a contingency of $14,431.67, for a total of $200,000.00 being authorized by this ordinance.
The city previously legislated $446,124 for the pool replacement project, and the new measure brings the aggregate total authorized to $646,124.
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Fiscal Impact: The expenditure of $446,124.00 was legislated for the Marion Franklin Pool Replacement Project by Ordinance 1938-2025. This ordinance will provide funding that will modify the previously authorized amount by $200,000.00. $200,000.00 is budgeted and available from within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 to meet the financial obligations of this expenditure. The aggregate total amount authorized, including this modification, is $646,124.00.
To provide budget authority for the contract, the measure amends the capital improvements budget by reducing Marion Franklin Community Center improvements by $200,000, lowering its remaining authority from $1,341,700 to $1,141,700, and adding $200,000 for Marion Franklin Pool Replacement.
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SECTION 6. That the 2025 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 1790-2025 is hereby amended as follows in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this ordinance and future projects. Fund / Project / Project Name / Current Revised Authority / Current Remaining Authority / Change / Amended Revised Authority / Amended Remaining Authority Fund 7702 / P511098-100000 / Marion Franklin Community Center Improvements (Voted Carryover) / $2,356,700 / $2,356,700 / ($1,015,000) / $1,341,700 / $1,341,700 (to match cash) Fund 7702 / P511098-100000 / Marion Franklin Community Center Improvements (Voted Carryover) / $1,341,700 / $1,341,700 / ($200,000) / $1,141,700 / $1,141,700 Fund 7702 / P511049-100000 / Marion Franklin Pool Replacement (Voted Carryover) / $0 / $0 / $200,000 / $200,000 / $200,000
According to city records, the emergency action is requested in order to keep the project on schedule to be completed by the 2027 swim season.
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Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested in order to keep the project on schedule to be completed by the 2027 swim season.