The Osborn Aquatic Center just got a big step closer to reopening. The Oregon Tourism Commission, better known as Travel Oregon, has awarded the Corvallis School District $500,000 to aid in the effort.
The dollars came through Travel Oregon’s 2026 Competitive Grants Program.
The money is meant to help finish the upgrades needed to reopen the center. That matters because back in July, the School Board approved a $5.2 million construction bid for repairs, but the District was still staring at a $1.2 million funding gap for the pool liner and HVAC replacements. If the money wasn’t secured by May 2027, the District said it would cancel those pieces of the contract and re-bid them later, which would push back reopening.
So, is the gap closed? Not quite. If the Travel Oregon award goes toward that shortfall, the District would still need to find about $700,000. The District has also said it’s pursuing a capital fundraising campaign and other grants.
Travel Oregon’s grant program funds projects that improve communities by growing the state’s travel industry. Local governments, port districts, federally recognized tribes, and registered nonprofits can apply. The agency’s thinking here is that Osborn is more than a neighborhood pool. It houses Oregon’s only indoor 50-meter competition pool, and the District says the upgrades will let the facility host both short- and long-course meets, with seating for more than 1,000 spectators.
The tourism angle is about timing. Osborn is expected to draw visitors in the slower months from November through April, when hotels and restaurants could use the business. According to the District, the center is projected to host about 12 competitive aquatic events in 2028, which would generate roughly 2,000 hotel room nights.
“We are very appreciative of the support from Travel Oregon. This funding will have long-lasting statewide economic impact,” said Ryan Noss, Superintendent, Corvallis School District. “It will allow our community to welcome competitive swimmers and their families from across the West Coast, providing critical local business support. As we look forward to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the renovated pool will continue to provide support for athletes at all levels of competition.”
As a reminder, Osborn has been closed since October 2024, when significant corrosion of the natatorium roof’s structural steel was detected. The City of Corvallis Parks & Rec Department operates the center, but the School District owns the building and is responsible for its structure and major systems.
For more on the project, visit the District’s Osborn Aquatic Center Updates page. And if you’d like to chip in toward the remaining gap, the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation is a local nonprofit that helps the District meet financial challenges. You can find it at cpsfoundation.org.
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