Fox Point to Present New Village Pool Analysis
The future of a community swimming pool in Fox Point will be back before the Village Board on Tuesday, September 8, as Village staff presents a new analysis of what it could take to build and operate a replacement for the former Fox Point Municipal Pool.
The Village Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Point Village Hall.
The Village's pool presentation slides can be viewed here.
Village Manager Steve Kreklow said the presentation will include updated information about potential pool construction costs, projected operating revenues and expenses, possible partnerships for operating the facility and options for putting the question before voters in a referendum.
For Fox Point families who have been following the pool discussion over the past several years, the meeting could provide one of the clearest looks yet at the possible paths forward.
The former Fox Point Municipal Pool closed in 2023 after significant mechanical and plumbing problems made continued operation impractical. According to the Village, replacement parts for the aging facility had become increasingly difficult or impossible to obtain.
The Village Board subsequently approved a concept for a new aquatic facility in March 2024. That concept has been tied to a public-private funding model established by the Village in 2023.
Under that framework, the Village would contribute approximately $4 million toward what was then envisioned as an approximately $8 million project once another $4 million had been raised privately.
The nonprofit Friends of the Fox Point Pool was formed to lead that fundraising effort.
One of the biggest new numbers in the September presentation is a “pool only” working estimate of about $6.08 million, with a conceptual range of approximately $5.78 million to $6.69 million.
That lower figure does not mean the estimated cost of constructing the same project has simply fallen by about $1 million. Instead, Village staff has separated expenses that are no longer necessary or that are associated with other portions of the larger concept.
The presentation does not recommend a single final path forward. Instead, it lays out several choices that could determine whether Fox Point proceeds with a new pool, changes its existing private fundraising requirement, asks voters for input or puts the project on hold.
How Fox Point Got Here
The original Fox Point pool opened in 1968.
Over the decades, the Village commissioned a series of studies looking at the aging facility, including reviews in 2007, 2017 and 2019. A citizen advisory committee was formed in 2020.
The pool ultimately closed in 2023 because of irreparable mechanical and plumbing problems. That same year, the Village created a new Municipal Pool Citizens Committee and approved a resolution establishing a 50% private fundraising match for a replacement facility.
The Village Board approved a concept plan in 2024.
What Would a New Fox Point Pool Cost?
The September presentation takes another look at construction estimates originally prepared by Parkitecture in March 2024.
The original estimate for the preferred concept was approximately $7.09 million, but that figure included more than construction of the pool itself.
Village staff has now calculated a “pool only” estimate of $6,083,140, with a conceptual range of approximately $5.78 million to $6.69 million.
One reason for the change is that the original estimate included $180,000 for demolition and erosion control associated with the former pool. The old pool has since been demolished, so the Village says that expense no longer needs to be included in estimating what it would cost to move forward with a new facility.
The new calculation also removes a $225,000 playground from the amount attributed to the pool and separates a portion of the building costs associated with the larger community-center component of the concept.
In the original estimate, the building package was approximately $2.11 million. The new pool-only calculation attributes approximately $1.58 million of that amount to the pool. Related soft costs are also reduced.
The result is the Village's current pool-only planning estimate:
Low estimate: approximately $5.78 million
Working estimate: approximately $6.08 million
High estimate: approximately $6.69 million
Those figures come from the construction-cost analysis in the Village presentation.
These remain planning-level estimates rather than construction bids. Parkitecture prepared the underlying estimates in 2024, and the Village presentation notes that the firm believes the ranges remain appropriate for conceptual discussions.
In other words, the $6.08 million number is best understood as a narrower estimate of the costs attributed specifically to a new pool—not evidence that the cost of the entire previously envisioned project has suddenly dropped by more than $1 million.
The Old Pool Did Not Pay for Itself
One of the most detailed sections of the presentation looks at how the former Fox Point pool performed financially between 2014 and 2022.
Annual pool revenue fell from about $150,000 in 2014 to $99,000 in 2022, while total expenses in 2022 were about $206,000.
Village staff concludes that revenues declined 34% between 2014 and 2022, driven primarily by lower camp and class revenue and fewer non-resident memberships.
Meanwhile, expenses remained relatively flat, increasing about 5%.
Over that period, the pool accumulated approximately $842,000 in total net losses. Looking just at operations and excluding capital costs and debt service, losses totaled approximately $568,000.
That history is important because building the pool is only one part of the financial question. Fox Point would also have to determine how to cover any annual gap between pool revenue and operating expenses.
Pool Membership Was Shifting Toward Fox Point Residents
The membership numbers tell another interesting story.
Total membership declined about 15% from 2014 to 2022, but that decline was driven primarily by non-resident participation.
According to the Village analysis, non-resident membership fell approximately 50%, while resident membership actually increased 19%.
That could become an important consideration as Village officials weigh whether a future pool should primarily function as a Fox Point amenity or whether there is an opportunity to attract users from throughout the North Shore.
Could Fox Point Share the Pool?
Village Manager Steve Kreklow explored possible partnerships with North Shore municipal managers, the Jewish Community Center and the Nicolet High School recreation program.
The response from neighboring municipalities was not particularly encouraging.
According to the presentation, no other North Shore municipalities expressed interest in capital or operating partnerships.
Several reasons were cited, including competing needs for capital funding, a lack of available operating-budget funds and no significant demand for a pool from their communities.
There was more interest from organizations that might help operate the facility.
Both the Jewish Community Center and Nicolet High School Recreation Department expressed interest in a potential operating partnership.
Village staff concludes that the Village could likely identify partners for pool operations, potentially reducing the amount of property-tax levy support needed to operate the facility.
However, staff believes Fox Point is unlikely to find another municipality willing to contribute toward construction.
Could Grants Help Pay for the Pool?
The Village also identified two potential sources of grant funding.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund can provide funding for up to 50% of eligible outdoor recreation project costs.
The federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program can provide grants of up to $15 million, with a 50% local match required.
But Village staff is cautioning against counting on grant money as a solution.
The presentation describes the programs as competitive and notes that the availability of other recreational options is an important consideration. Fox Point could also find itself competing against the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County and other communities for funding.
Village staff concludes that Fox Point does not currently appear to have a particularly compelling case for grant funding and notes that applications involving a more fully developed, “shovel ready” project would likely be more competitive.
Wisconsin Communities Are Taking Different Approaches to Public Pools
Fox Point also looked at what other Wisconsin communities are doing.
The presentation identifies several communities that have recently opened new pools or aquatic centers, including Wisconsin Rapids, De Pere, Marshfield, Kaukauna and Platteville. It also lists a new facility in Mequon as expected in 2027.
At the same time, several older municipal pools have closed, including facilities in Milwaukee, Hales Corners and South Milwaukee.
Village staff notes that most of the recently constructed pools included in its analysis are replacements for older facilities.
Those communities have generally opted to build larger aquatic centers in hopes of increasing revenue.
Milwaukee County has taken a somewhat different approach. Its strategic plan calls for closing some smaller neighborhood pools while concentrating resources in larger regional aquatic centers.
Would Fox Point Need a Referendum?
Not necessarily.
One of the important clarifications in the presentation is that Fox Point is not required to hold a referendum simply to issue debt to construct a pool or another municipal facility.
That does not mean voters couldn't be asked to weigh in.
The Village could hold a non-binding referendum asking residents whether Fox Point should build a pool.
It could also hold a binding referendum to increase the property tax levy to cover debt payments associated with borrowing for construction.
And if the Village decides to build a pool, the Board could consider a binding referendum to increase the annual property tax levy to cover the difference between the pool's revenues and expenses.
The presentation does not yet provide a specific tax impact for homeowners.
That means there are potentially two separate taxpayer questions: how to finance construction and how to support annual operations if pool revenues don't cover expenses.
What Could Happen Next?
Perhaps the most important slide for residents is the one near the end of the presentation outlining the choices available to the Village Board.
The first option is simply to make no change and continue under the existing arrangement.
The Board could also direct staff to place one of several options on its October agenda.
Move a new pool into the 2027 capital budget. The Board could rescind the existing resolution and direct staff to include a new pool in the Village's 2027 Capital Improvements Budget.
Stop pursuing a pool for now. The Board could rescind the existing resolution and decide not to pursue construction of a pool at this time.
Change the private fundraising requirement. The Board could rescind the existing resolution and adopt a new one requiring private fundraising equal to 50% of the cost attributed specifically to the pool, while also establishing a deadline for the fundraising effort.
Ask voters. The Board could consider a resolution calling for either a binding or non-binding referendum on construction of a new pool.
That means Tuesday's meeting may not produce a final decision, but it could significantly narrow the choices and determine what returns to the Village Board in October.
Three Big Financial Questions Remain
The Village now has to consider at least three separate financial questions:
How much should Fox Point spend to construct the facility?
How should construction be funded?
How would annual pool operations be supported once it opens?
The new analysis suggests that partnerships with neighboring municipalities are unlikely to solve the construction-funding problem.
Operating partnerships may be more realistic.
Grant funding is possible, but uncertain.
And the historic operating results suggest that Village officials cannot assume a new pool would pay for itself through memberships, classes and other revenue.
That leaves Fox Point with a fundamental community decision: whether a municipal pool is an amenity residents want enough to support with additional public investment, and if so, what combination of public funding, private fundraising and operating partnerships makes the most sense.
How to Follow the September 8 Meeting
The Fox Point Village Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Fox Point Village Hall, 7200 N. Santa Monica Boulevard, Fox Point, WI 53217.
Residents can attend in person or watch remotely through Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87335256142
Meeting ID: 873 3525 6142
Dial: (312) 626-6799
Village Board meetings are also recorded and posted online after the meeting.
What Happens Next?
Tuesday night's presentation may help determine whether Fox Point continues pursuing the existing public-private funding model, considers a different fundraising requirement, moves a pool project into the 2027 capital budget or begins moving toward a referendum.
No new pool has been approved at this stage, and several financial and operational questions remain.
But years after the former municipal pool closed, the September 8 discussion could be an important step toward determining whether—and how—a new community pool becomes part of Fox Point's future.
In the meantime, families looking for other places to spend time outside can explore our guide to the best parks in Milwaukee's North Shore, which includes Doctor's Park and other destinations throughout Fox Point, Bayside, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Glendale and Mequon.
You can also find swimming options along Lake Michigan in our 2026 guide to the best beaches in Milwaukee's North Shore.
A proposal to add pickleball play and construct courts at The Porticos in Fox Point is moving into the Village review process.