Orange Beach Approves $274,000 for Oversight of Aquatics Center Expansion’s First Phase

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Orange Beach has taken another step toward a major expansion of its Aquatics Center, approving up to $274,000 for the engineering firm that designed the project to oversee construction of its first phase, which includes a second, larger leisure pool, a new pump house with meeting rooms and additional pool decks.

The City Council approved the task order with Lose of Tennessee, PLLC, at its Nov. 3 meeting. The money pays for managing and monitoring the construction work, not for building the new facilities themselves.

A design-stage estimate puts the cost of building the first phase at $7,240,375. City documents describe that number as an estimate rather than a final construction contract, and the council packet did not identify a funding source for construction.

Key numbers

• $274,000: Maximum authorized for construction oversight of Phase 1 ($247,000 in fixed fees plus an estimated $27,000 in reimbursable expenses)
• $7,240,375: Estimated construction cost of Phase 1
• $4,185,956: Estimated construction cost of Phase 2
• $781,700: Maximum the council approved in February 2026 for the firm to design the expansion
• 12: Site visits planned during an expected nine-month construction period
• April 2027: Possible construction start assumed in the cost estimate, not confirmed

What the oversight contract covers

Under the new agreement, Lose will act as the city’s eyes on the project once a contractor is hired. Its duties include reviewing the contractor’s payment requests, reviewing materials submitted for approval and helping manage changes that arise during construction. Near the end of the project, the firm will inspect the work and identify any remaining items that must be finished before the city accepts it.

The firm’s proposal calls for a pre-construction meeting and 12 site visits over an expected nine-month construction period. The agreement covers only the first phase. A separate agreement would be needed for oversight of the second phase.

Construction administration contracts like this one are common on public building projects. Because the design firm prepared the plans, it is positioned to check whether the contractor’s work and materials match what was designed and to answer questions that come up in the field.

Phase 1: A second, larger leisure pool

The first phase would add a second pool to the complex, a leisure pool larger than the existing one. Leisure pools are typically designed for recreation, with features such as shallow areas and play elements, rather than for lap swimming or competition.

The phase also includes a new pump house that would contain meeting rooms, giving the center indoor space for classes, gatherings or programs, along with additional pool decks.

Phase 2: A replacement lap pool

The second phase calls for removing the existing pool and building a replacement lap pool in its place. Plans also include renovating the current pump house and pool house and adding new pool decks. The estimated construction cost of the second phase is $4,185,956.

Taken together, the two phase estimates total about $11.4 million in construction costs. Those figures do not include every expense. Design fees, furniture, equipment, audiovisual systems and the removal of any hazardous materials are excluded from the estimates.

A facility serving the city since 2002

The Orange Beach Aquatics Center at 4853 Wilson Blvd. opened in May 2002 and has served the community for more than two decades.

The center has a heated 25-yard outdoor pool, a diving well, a tube slide and a seasonal children’s wading pool. According to the city, the diving well is 11 1/2 feet deep with a 1-meter board. The center offers swimming lessons, water aerobics and other programs for people of all ages and swimming abilities.

The facility is part of the city’s broader parks and recreation system, which serves both year-round residents and the many visitors who come to Orange Beach each year.

How the project got here

Planning for the renovation and expansion began well before this week’s vote:

• April 2025: The city hired Lose Design to lead initial renovation and expansion planning.
• February 2026: The council approved up to $781,700 for the firm to design the expansion.
• Nov. 3, 2026: The council approved up to $274,000 for construction oversight of Phase 1.

Under the current plan, the existing pool would not be removed until the second phase. The city has not yet said how construction of either phase would affect day-to-day operations at the center.

What is still unknown

The approval moves the project forward, but several steps remain before new facilities open to the public. The city has not announced:

• A final construction cost. The figures released so far are design-stage estimates.
• A construction contractor. The oversight agreement applies once a builder is in place.
• A confirmed construction schedule. The April 2027 start date used in the cost estimate is an assumption.
• A funding source for construction, which was not identified in the council packet.
• Any effects on current Aquatics Center hours, lessons or programs during construction.

Other Orange Beach business

The aquatics project is one of several capital items before Orange Beach leaders this fall. The council has also been reviewing a police response agreement with Gulf Shores for a roundabout on State Route 161 that sits in both cities’ jurisdictions, and in October considered funding for a shooting complex clubhouse, road resurfacing and a police drone trial.

Where to learn more

Information about current Aquatics Center hours, swim lessons and programs is available on the City of Orange Beach website. Council agendas and meeting packets, which include details on projects like this one, are posted by the city ahead of each meeting, and council meetings are open to the public.