Open for just over a year, the RecPlex Aqua Arena has been gaining attention within the aquatics world. The RecPlex Aqua Arena has been featured in Aquatics International’s 2011 Dream Design’s showcase. The showcase highlights aquatic projects that have incorporated the “perfect mix” of teamwork, attention to community needs, foresight and attention to detail. Aquatics International noted the design flexibility, commitment to environmental sustainability, the comfortable indoor environment, and special challenges of the project, in addition to the positive reactions of pool users.
Over a four-day period at the end of July, the RecPlex Aqua Arena hosted the Illinois Age Group State Championships. The event brought 1,380 swimmers and their families, 150 coaches, and 45 officials to the community and ranked as the largest event hosted at the arena to date. Joe Roszak, Aquatics and Competitive Swim Director for RecPlex, commented, “In addition to receiving a lot of positive feedback about the facility, the event served as a performance benchmark. It was great to see that the facility could host an event of this size smoothly and with so much positive feedback.”
The event also had an impact on the local business community. Those visiting for the event over the four-day period patronized local restaurants, retail establishments and hotels. The economic benefit to the local economy for this single event is estimated at more than $500,000 ($532,980). The RecPlex Aqua Arena has been steadily hosting both larger and smaller events and welcoming swimming families to the community. The arena is continuing to book events into 2012 and is being considered as a possible site for the Junior Olympic Prequalification Meet.
The arena was also recently recognized as one of the Daily Reporter’s Top Projects of 2010 and received a 2010 grant from Focus on Energy for the energy efficient measures incorporated in its construction. RecPlex is owned and operated by the Village of Pleasant Prairie. It is operated as an Enterprise Fund, a structure comparable to a business, and is not supported by property tax dollars.