SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – It began with a dream over a decade ago, and now, through years of collaboration between the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, the South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association, and many others, the state-of-the-art South Lake Tahoe Recreation and Aquatics Center is now open to the public.
An estimated 800 people filled the center Saturday morning to hear from the City, Lodging Association, and the builder, Roebbelen Contracting, Inc. Young cheerleaders from the City’s program with The Studio led the crowd in a cheer, and the marching band from El Dorado High School in Placerville filled the upstairs track with energetic music. Then the tours of the areas began.
Highlights include senior nutrition services, a six-lane lap pool, a seperate lazy river pool, kids area with slide, small lap pool for kids, event center and outside event deck, exercise and weight rooms, a climbing wall, a community room that will offer crafts and other classes, a yoga and exercise room, large gym with basketball and pickleball courts, drop-down batting cages, along with an indoor walking/running track.
There are daily and annual passes available with discounts for seniors, locals, and veterans. Visit here for more information. The new center is open daily, with hours Monday-Thursday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The $82.94 million price tag is funded almost entirely through collected taxes, mainly the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT).
The idea of an updated recreation center had been circulating for years, as the original 1975 building needed updating to meet current codes and replace aging building systems.
The dream became a reality when the South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association, under the leadership of Pat Ronan and Jerry Bindel, brought forward the idea of a new lodging tax to create a center not only for locals, but something the visitors could enjoy with swim meets, basketball tournaments, and other events. City Council at the time was surprised that a group in South Lake Tahoe actually wanted to increase taxes on their businesses. The Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe was also a major supporter of the project and Measure P to earn the income to make it a reality.
Measure P came about, and voters overwhelmingly approved it in November of 2016, with almost 69 percent saying “yes” to an extra two percent of TOT added to lodging stays, including vacation home rentals. The measure was estimated to generate $2 million annually dedicated specifically to the construction, operation, and maintenance of recreational facilities. The priority identified in the ordinance was the construction of a new recreation complex.
The first major hurdle to bringing the project to fruition was working with El Dorado County to use some of the land it owned for the center. The “56-Acre” group created the deal with the City and County, with a lot of community input. The City could have the property where the center is now located in exchange for the almost 11.45 acres where the original recreation center is located.
Of the 56 acres, where the campground, library, museum, senior center, El Dorado Beach, and recreation center are located, the County owns almost 45 acres. The City is responsible for tearing down the old recreation center within 15 years and turning it over to the County. At this time, the County has no set plans for the spot, which they own.
Plans were approved in 2021, with a 2022 groundbreaking planned, but a favorable bid did not come forward. Costs were rising during COVID, and the project went out for bid again, and in 2023, Roebbelen was approved as the contractor in 2023. Once the center’s future was in their hands, it came in on budget and on time for the April 19 opening.
Total Construction-Related Budget:
$82.94 million
Where the Funding Comes From
- $56.17M – 2023 Series A Lease Revenue Bonds
- $21.89M – Measure P Funds
- $1.0M – Measure S Sales Tax Funds
- $2.71M – Federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Funds
- $1.165M – General Fund Reserves
Major Project Costs
- $6.1M – Design/Utilities cost
- $3.2M – Phase 1 Construction Cost
- $67.85M – Base Construction Contract
- $3.4M – Construction Contingency (5%)
- $2.4M – Construction Management (SierraCon), Materials Testing, Inspections & Commission.
Bond Repayment
- Debt service (principal & interest) is funded through Measure P Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues.
- Bond payments are incorporated into the City’s adopted annual budgets.
