GLENWOOD SPRINGS – By Memorial Day 2004, the Community Center could be dripping with new customers.

That’s because if all goes as city officials hope, the groundbreaking for an aquatic center will happen in September and the city will hold its grand opening during Memorial Day weekend, 2004.

City Council last week extended a fund-raising deadline for the center and directed the city’s staff to find out how much it will cost to generate its final design. City manager Mike Copp guessed that cost will come to somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000.

The blueprint for the building’s shell is already done and it’s just a matter of finalizing the pool itself and some of the details inside the center, he said.

“It’s just the guts, the inside of the pool that needs to be completed,” he said.

Terri Miller, chairwoman for the Let’s All Pledge aquatic center fund-raising campaign, said she hopes the center’s groundbreaking will happen in September.

“We’re kind of on a tight schedule to make that happen,” Miller said.

Copp said a September groundbreaking is “optimistic, but possible.”

Miller said she was encouraged by council’s support of the aquatic center at its meeting Thursday.

“It was the first time we had unanimous council support. I thought that was very positive,” she said.

But the city’s latest pledge of $750,000 toward the center still hinges on Planning and Zoning approval of the municipal golf course design. That’s because the $12 million worth of certificates of participation that would fund the golf course, aquatic center and other recreational amenities will be borrowed only if the golf course is approved.

So far, City Council has pledged $1.5 million toward the aquatic center; 45 businesses and 209 residents have pitched in just more than $1 million. That means the LAP fund-raising campaign will still need to raise $627,060 to reach its final goal of $3.2 million.

To help reach that goal, Miller said, she’s getting ready to apply for three grants.

Copp said he’ll make sure the design work is ready in time for a September groundbreaking.

“If we can get it into the ground by fall, we should be able to have the pool by this time next year,” Copp said.

Contact Greg Masse: 945-8515, ext. 511

gmasse@postindependent.com