Mary Barry
Director of Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources
Town of Cary
Speaking on October 29, 1998, about the $10 million aquatics center portion of the February 2, 1999 Bond Referendum.
The next bond referendum proposal that is planned at this point is for a $10 million aquatics center. The aquatic center is included at this point because when we did the survey with the master plan, one of the activities listed was swimming at a pool. The survey was set up so that you responded to your interest and your participation with the difference used to develop a latent demand for an activity. Swimming at a pool was at the very top of the list, much higher than any of the others in the survey."
"Now you can say, ‘how do we jump from a swimming pool to an aquatics center?’ Aquatics centers are a trend in parks and recreation development in municipalities throughout the country. There’s a lot of real demand for an indoor center as opposed to an outdoor center. This is because you can provide activity throughout a much greater time of year obviously, but also a much more diverse use so that the entire population could enjoy that facility."
"We believe that for $10 million we can build an aquatic center that will include two swimming areas. One would be a 50 meter, 8-lane main pool and the other would be a 25 meter 4-lane instructional\recreation pool and then the support facilities (locker rooms, office, classroom). There are other facilities which can be included in an aquatic center such as a diving well and slides. Those things are also possible with our aquatic center if it is passed."
"The proposed location for the aquatics center is part of land that is currently owned by the Town in north Cary, south of Cary Parkway and west of N. Harrison Avenue. Just north of Cary Parkway we’re beginning to break ground on North Cary Park which is a 30-acre park that will have a multitude of activities. It is also adjacent to the Black Creek Greenway."
You may Email your comments to Mary Barry at mbarry@ci.cary.nc.us or call her at 469-4066.