Regional Sales Tax Fund to cover Kingsport Aquatic Center renovations

KINGSPORT — The $1.5 million bid contract approved for renovations at the Kingsport Aquatic Center will be paid for through the Regional Sales Tax Fund, a city official confirmed Wednesday. In a statement to the Times News, Assistant City Manager Michael Borders said debt from a financial institution will pay for the latest renovations. Debt payments related to the Kingsport Aquatic Center will then be paid for through the Regional Sales Tax Fund. "There are not any associated fee increases related to the renovations," Borders said when asked about the impact on the Kingsport taxpayer in relation to the Kingsport Aquatic Center renovations. Proceeds for the Regional Sales Tax Fund stem from a $0.0025 (or 0.25%) local sales tax approved by local referendum in 1992, according to last year's budget book available online. MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center, Cattails at MeadowView Golf Course and the Kingsport Aquatic Center are funded through the Regional Sales Tax Fund. Background The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Alderman approved a resolution awarding the $1,504,350 bid to Southern Watershapes Inc. at Tuesday's meeting. As proposed, the renovation project will address the competition pool, warm pool, play pool, leisure pool and lazy river. Work on the facility is anticipated to include replacing pool tiles, depth markers, drain covers, chlorinators, hydrostatic valves and other related components, along with replastering the pools. The agenda action form for the resolution states funds are "forthcoming" and "will be available in time to comply with and meet contractual requirements." "During regularly scheduled maintenance in 2024, hollow places in the competition pool's plaster were identified," Borders said. "Staff immediately had an evaluation completed and it was determined that the plaster was beginning to delaminate from the pool surface." An initial agreement to begin design work on renovations was approved by the BMA six months ago at the November 18, 2025, meeting. The resolution noted a $139,529 agreement with Thompson & Litton for professional architectural design services, bidding assistance and construction administration services related to the improvements. "We are getting to that point where it is time to start doing some pretty significant maintenance to the aquatic center," McCartt said at the November 2025 meeting. "We will begin work with Thompson & Litton to identify the various projects that need to be done. Most notably, the replastering of the pools." Timeline Work for the renovations is scheduled to begin after Labor Day on Sept. 7. Information provided in the Tuesday meeting's agenda packet states the indoor portion of the project is expected to be completed by Jan. 8, 2027; the outdoor portion is expected to be completed by Feb. 19, 2027. The Kingsport Aquatic Center opened on May 25, 2013. The facility saw regularly scheduled maintenance work in 2024 including acid washing, recaulking, pool light replacement and other related work with a price tag of roughly $500,000. An outdoor pool, office suite and shared pavilion with restrooms were added during the facility's first major expansion in 2019.