Shoreline is diving back into the deep end of local politics, sending a roughly $100 million indoor aquatic center plan to voters this November after city leaders agreed to advance the proposal this week. The concept calls for a 48,000-square-foot facility with lap lanes, a warm recreation pool and therapy spaces that would replace the city's shuttered pool and expand year-round community programming.
The City Council voted to place the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. Shoreline residents will be asked to approve a property-tax levy, likely structured through a metropolitan park district, to cover both construction and ongoing operations.
What the center would include
Preliminary designs outline an eight-lane, 25-yard lap pool with diving boards, a separate leisure pool with a lazy river, a hydrotherapy pool and sauna, and space for parties, classes and spectators, according to the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Architects Miller Hayashi and MJMA helped shape the concept, with the footprint pegged at about 48,000 square feet.
City staff and designers say the building is intended to be accessible, energy efficient and flexible enough to handle swim lessons, competitive teams and larger community events, all under one roof.
Price tag and funding
City staff estimate capital costs at roughly $100 million and project that user fees would cover about two-thirds of annual operating expenses, according to the City of Shoreline. The remaining operating costs would be picked up by taxpayers.
The preferred funding structure in council materials is a metropolitan park district, which would levy property taxes to build and maintain the facility. Officials say that model is intended to keep drop-in swim rates and class fees relatively affordable while still bringing in revenue from rentals, lessons and other programs.
Site and transit context
The city purchased the former storage-facility parcel near Midvale Avenue in 2017 and plans to build the new pool complex there, just north of City Hall. Local reporting has highlighted that the parcel sits among other civic amenities, which city staff say makes it a natural hub for a community aquatic center.
The future pool site is also within a short drive of the Shoreline North/185th light-rail station, which opened as part of the Lynnwood Link extension on Aug. 30, 2024, according to Sound Transit. Supporters argue that proximity could make it easier for visitors from around the region to reach the facility without driving the entire way.
Politics and past votes
This is not Shoreline's first attempt to fund a new pool. In 2019, a combined parks-and-pool bond won 54 percent of the vote but fell short of the 60 percent supermajority required to pass, leaving the city without a replacement when its aging pool closed.
The city's Capital Improvement Plan lists a target ballot measure in November 2026 and an aspirational opening around 2030 if funding, permitting and construction stay on track, according to the Shoreline Capital Improvement Plan. That near miss in 2019, paired with looming growth and changing recreation needs, has sharpened the local debate over how much residents are willing to pay for public amenities.
What happens next
The council's vote sets up a months-long public argument over taxes, programming and construction logistics, with the measure scheduled to appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot if all paperwork is completed. Campaigns backing and opposing the levy are expected to organize, and the city will release final ballot language and the detailed levy estimate once the metropolitan park district framework is nailed down, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
If voters say yes, the aquatic center would restore public swim access in Shoreline and add recreation and therapy amenities that residents have been requesting for years. If the measure fails again, city officials say they will continue looking at regional partnerships and other funding options, although there is no clear backup plan yet for when those might materialize.
