Local officials couldn’t really figure out how to start funding the necessary repairs to fully reopen the Osborn Aquatic Center – so they turned to the state legislature, and voila, they scored almost all the dollars they’d asked for.
“Osborn Aquatic Center will receive $4 million in funding from the State Legislature to use toward repairs of the pool roof. The funding was announced this week by Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, who championed the request on behalf of the Corvallis community. The funding is expected to be finalized by the end of this month and will be provided to the Corvallis School District (which owns the pool). The City of Corvallis is ready to continue conversations with the School District about roof repairs, as well as the overall facility assessment that got underway earlier this year,” according to a statement from the City of Corvallis.
The funding came from the state legislature’s so called Christmas Tree bill – a hodge-podge omnibus bill of funding requests from lawmakers statewide at the end of every legislative session. Local officials had originally requested $5 million, but they were lucky to get what they did. There were about $2 billion in requests this session, and only $1 billion was available.
It’s only a start
Gelser Blouin has said in the past that even $5 million wouldn’t cover the full rebuilding costs for Osborn – but that it would be a jumpstart. Earlier this month, Gelser Blouin told The Daily Barometer, “Our community will step up and really take on the bulk of it. But given that it is a statewide resource, we are asking the state for some help, because it really does benefit swimmers of all ages all across the state.”
Gelser Blouin said at the time that Osborn is one of the top three swimming centers on the West Coast. The closure of its indoor pools has impacted swimming teams statewide. The center’s indoor facilities also offered adaptive swimming for seniors and people with disabilities.
The Corvallis School District owns the center; the City of Corvallis Parks and Rec Department operates it.
How we got here
In September 2024, routine maintenance on light fixtures at Osborn Aquatic Center revealed rust and corrosion on the steel beams that support the roof over the natatorium, which is the indoor part of the center that houses the indoor pool, restrooms, and staff work areas. The City of Corvallis closed the center on October 2. There has been a staged reopening of the outdoor facilities since spring.
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