One of Johnson County’s busiest pools is deteriorating. City considers $2M fix

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the Shawnee City Council’s approval of the project.

One of Johnson County’s busiest pools will get a facelift after years of wear and tear.

Shawnee’s Thomas A. Soetart Aquatic Center first opened at its location on Johnson Drive in 1987, and some of the infrastructure — including the main pool — still remain in use. The center now features an eight lane, 50-meter competition pool, three diving boards, two 125-foot slides and a lazy river.

The city conducted a major renovation back in 2002 — which added some of the amenities folks see today — but the center has been deteriorating since then.

On Monday night, the Shawnee City Council unanimously approved a design contract with Waters Edge Aquatic Design — a Kansas City, Kansas-based business — to look at the major upgrades needed during Monday’s City Council meeting.

“This project we are looking at is actually a continuation of something we discovered in 2009,” Recreation Superintendent Sean Keenan told the City Council during the meeting. “This is to completely replace remainders of the deck that’s actually failing in sections of the facility.”

The project would replace remainders of the pool deck in the newer portions of the center on its west side, including the lazy river and baby pool, he said.

The demolition and redecking will cause other areas to enter the project’s scope — including the lazy river walls, electrical conduits running the pool lights, deck drainage and the electrical grounding grid.

The $181,000 contract the city approved on Monday will cover costs of studying the center’s existing conditions and making recommendations for improvements, design and construction documents preparation, and bidding services and construction administration.

“This firm will do additional discovery for sections failing and mitigation for drainage that will address ongoing issues we currently exhibit at the site,” Keenan said.

Staff estimates that the total cost of the improvements will sit between $1.5 and $2 million and be completed by May 2027. Once completed, Keenan said that the city can expect the repaired infrastructure to last for more than 50 years.

Bidding for the project is scheduled to begin at the end of June. Kate Kinkaid, the program marketing manager for the Shawnee Parks and Recreation department, said that work would take place during the off-season.

The project will come back to City Council at a later date for final approvals before construction begins. Kinkaid said that the aquatic center, located at 13805 Johnson Drive, will be open and operating for the 2026 summer season.

The Shawnee City Council will begin its discussion at 6 p.m. inside City Hall, 11110 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203.

This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 12:30 PM.