Promoters of Marshall’s proposed Aquatic Center are encouraging city voters to “Make a Splash” on Election Day 2023.

They’re asking voters to approve an $18.3 million sales tax extension to fund the construction of a new outdoor aquatic center on West College Drive near the Schwan Food Company headquarters. A show of support from the community is needed before the Minnesota Legislature can consider the request.

The plan has drawn support this week from letters to the editor on the Independent’s editorial page. I’m happy to see it, and hope it reflects the overall point of view of local voters.

I can’t think of any reason to vote against the plan, except for the idea that possibly it should be a simpler pool that wouldn’t cost as much.

I have great memories of the current pool at Legion Field from the 1970s and early 1980s as I grew up in Marshall. My dad often had time to take my sister and I to the pool after lunch. The radio station would always play a great song called “The Entertainer” as we made the trip.

Later I enjoyed riding my bicycle to the pool. I’d often stop at the Little Dairy Queen on my way home since it was right on the other side of the Armory.

It was a good pool for the time period. There was plenty of square footage, a small slide, a diving well, a sun deck and a wading pool with a seal fountain that spouted water.

That was about 50 years ago, so it’s surprising that the Legion Field pool has lasted so long. It was well maintanied over the years. It’s definitely served its time.

We’ve reached a point that something needs to be done. It would probably cost more to repair the pool than it would to build new, and we’d still be left with an old pool. New construction makes sense.

There’s been some question about the West College Drive location — a feeling among some residents that a new pool should be placed in a park. I’ll put my faith in engineering studies that indicate West College Drive as the best site.

Another advantage is that it’s a central location. People won’t have to cross the bypass or go to an edge of town to use the pool. Many families will be within walking or bike riding distance.

Construction plans call for a great set of special features. They include a lap pool, a zero depth entry area. a leisure pool with a lazy river, a slide area with three water slides, and ample green space.

It might sound like a lot of extras, but we have to consider that many small cities have built aquatic centers. It’s the standard in the 21st century. Marshall needs to keep up.

It’s important to consider how the tax burden will be distributed under a sales tax extension. Many people from the surrounding area do most of their shopping in Marshall. Whenever they buy something, they’ll be helping to fund the aquatic center.

I think that’s appropriate. People who make shopping trips to Marshall will be among the likely users of a new aquatic center. If they’ll benefit from it, it’s good that they’ll be helping with its funding.

Anyone who is not totally sold on the project at this point should take time within the next 10 days to gather factual information. They should use it to make a final decision about whether or not it’s a good investment.

Promoters see it as both an amenity for residents and as something that can draw people from around the region. When visitors come to try out the aquatic center, they’re likely to also eat out and shop. We’ll have a chance to draw more visitors in the summer, a time when many people go to the lake.

It’s my hope that voters will decide to build the aquatic center. I hope that today’s young people get the same kind of first-rate experience at the local pool that I had, only with a modern version of a pool that meets today’s expectations.

Lastly I think it could be a good neighbor for the Marshall Area YMCA, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Together they’ll be assets to the neighborhood. They’re the kind of thing that’s likely to increase property values, drawing cards for potential home buyers.

Marshall can be proud of recent public investments in the community. We have the YMCA, a new library, a new city hall, and the new Southview Elementary School. It’s time that we add a new aquatic center to our list of achievements.

Be sure to vote on Nov. 7. Make your vote count as Marshall makes an important decision, a decision that will influence the future of the community.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent