MARSHALL — As Marshall’s new Aquatic Center takes shape, the city of Marshall faces questions about what to do with the old Aquatic Center property near Legion Field. This week, the Marshall City Council voted to advertise for bids to demolish the old Aquatic Center. They also heard some possible suggestions for what might go in its place.

“The question we get asked very often is, what’s going to happen to the old site?” said Marshall Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud.

Stensrud said city engineering staff had been working on demolition plans for the old Aquatic Center once it closes down. A proposal to demolish structures including the old swimming pools went to the council’s Public Improvement and Transportation committee, on Tuesday, he said.

“This would take out the pool basins themselves, fill them back in, and get it kind of back to ground level,” Stensrud said. Some of the other structures that would need to be removed included manholes, and remnants of the structure of Marshall’s original pool bathhouse from the 1930s.

Stensrud said the city had a budgeted line item for demolition, but they wouldn’t know whether the budgeted numbers were on track until they saw bids for the project.

Council member Craig Schafer said it was the committee’s recommendation to authorize the city to advertise for bids to demolish the old Aquatic Center. The motion passed unanimously.

Stensrud said the city had also gathered ideas on what might replace the old pool area.

“Back in 2023 we had a public input session at the pool, where people could fill out a survey on what they potentially wanted to see,” he said. There were a total of about 560 responses to the survey.

Some of the most popular answers from the survey included building a destination playground, space for lawn or outdoor games like beanbags or bocce, outdoor fitness equipment, or a standalone pickleball court.

Stensrud said city staff worked with Stockwell Engineers, who put together a concept drawing for park space including some of the survey ideas.

The concept drawings are not a finalized plan, Stensrud said. “This is just an idea,” he said. The city also didn’t yet have a funding source to build the new structures.

“We would have to have discussions through our (Capital Improvement Plan) process for revenue sources, and that may take some time,” said Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson. “It’s not something we currently have in place, in terms of revenue sources.”