Tim Scott’s children were competitive swimmers in high school, but their hometown of Pocahontas only had a dilapidated pool at the Community Center to practice in.
His children have long since graduated, but Scott, who serves as the executive director of the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, hopes a new, recently built aquatic center will help spur economic development in the region and provide local swimmers with modern pools.
“We really think this will be a major benefit to our community … the economic impact will be significant,” Scott told Arkansas Business.
Voters passed a 1-cent sales tax in 2014 to fund a new aquatic center in Pocahontas. The project’s total cost could be up to $10 million, according to information released by the city. The facility held a grand opening in late February.
The tax has a sunset clause, meaning it will be reduced by a half-cent once the construction costs, about $7 million, are paid, Scott said. The city will continue to collect the other half-cent for maintenance, upkeep and renovations.
City officials hope to have the project paid off in eight years, but the sales tax has produced better than expected to this point, according to numbers released.
A 1-cent sales tax in Pocahontas typically produces about $1.2 million in revenue a year, according to numbers released by the chamber of commerce. The recent monthly receipts indicate that number may go up this year, Scott said.
The facility includes a large, competition size pool and outdoor pool, splash pad and therapeutic pool for senior citizens.
City leaders have been trying to build a center for several years. The goal is to lure lucrative swim meets to the city on weekends, Scott said.
The meets will attract swimmers from other parts of the state and southern Missouri, Scott said. Those swimmers, their families and friends will spend money during those trips.
“They’ll have to eat, stay in hotels, buy gas and everything else while they’re here,” Scott said.
The city doesn’t have any finite estimation as to what the total economic impact will be, but Scott said a single meet will add tens of thousands of dollars to the local economy and over time those numbers will grow.
Outlying counties and cities in northeast Arkansas have been contacting the city to arrange possible meets, he said.
How much an aquatic center affects a local economy is hard to determine, according to usaswimming.org. It’s certain swim meets add dollars to the local economy, but how much is uncertain unless a detailed study is performed before and after a meet.
The economic impact might be harder to gauge, but the social effects are significant, Scott said. The Pocahontas School District has started a formal swim team, and seniors have a place to rehab now, he said.
Children have a splash pad to play on during the hot summer days, he said.
“The sky is really the limit for this center,” Scott said.
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