The Pasco City Council has approved the purchase of 28 acres near Interstate 182 for an aquatic center project. What would YOU want at such a facility?From the Tacoma News Tribune on Dec. 4:

"The Pasco City Council approved the land purchase Monday night. City officials will offer the alternative site, just west of the Broadmoor Park Outlet Mall off Sandifur Parkway, as a home for a proposed $35 million aquatics facility to the Regional Public Facilities Board at the board's meeting next week.
The land deal still has to go through months of review such as environmental inspections and surveying, before the sale is finished. Council member Tom Larsen, the lone dissenting vote on the purchase, voiced concerns about possible toxins at the site, and Tri-City voters will have the final say on whether the project gets the green light."

City officials hope the purchase will show their commitment to building a multi-purpose facility that could be used for outdoor and indoor swimming and water activities. The original idea was to remodel TRAC near Road 68 into an aquatic facility, but that proposal has been shelved. The Regional Public Facilities Board would like to construct the facility.

City officials stress the Public Facilities Board's need to educate voters as to the exact nature of the development. Councilman Don Britain believes there is confusion because, over the past several years, developers have proposed building water parks in the Tri-Cities but nothing ever happened.

However, Britain says there's a difference between an aquatic center and a waterpark.

A small, private waterpark with slides, wading pools and other amenities was built at the Tri-City Court Club on Canal Drive in Kennewick, but its use is restricted to club members. Not since the demise of Oasis Water Works on Canal Drive has there been a large waterpark open to the public. Oasis shut down in 2003 and the site became Toyota of Tri-Cities.

So what would YOU like to see in this aquatic project? A swimming-aquatic facility suitable for meets and other activities? Or a waterpark-style facility with waterslides and pools like the old Oasis? Take our poll:

More From 870 AM KFLD