Kirbys donate $1M toward new indoor pool at Frank Olson Park

“It’s impossible to leave a swimming pool in a bad mood,” longtime swimmer Jennifer Kirby said. “It’s a calming experience, it resets your nervous system, there are no (video) screens involved. “

Those are some of the reasons behind the decision of the local philanthropist and her husband, Joe, to donate $1 million toward an indoor pool at the Frank Olson Recreation Center expected to open in 2029.

The gift was announced Monday at Sioux Falls City Hall.

Design work for the $47 million recreation center will be completed this year, said Brett Kollars, assistant director of the Parks & Recreation Department. Construction on the 45,000-square-foot facility should begin in early 2027.

The indoor pool will be named the Kirby Pool.

Kollars thanked the Kirbys for their generosity and leadership in other public-private partnerships that have improved the quality of life in Sioux Falls. Donations from the couple helped establish Levitt at the Falls, the dog park at Fort Sod in downtown Sioux Falls and expansion of the Midco Aquatic Center locker rooms.

The city park system recently was reaccredited with a perfect score, and that could not be accomplished without donations from the private sector, Kollars said. While a survey showed that nine out of 10 residents gave the city park system excellent or good reviews, city staff members know there is room to grow, particularly in indoor recreation opportunities.

The city describes the $47 million Frank Olson Recreation Center as “the biggest park investment ever on Sioux Falls’ east side.”

“The addition of the Frank Olson Recreation Center will be a welcome asset to the east side, which is underserved at this time,” Kirby said.

Kirby grew up taking swimming classes at the Frank Olson outdoor pool and would go there for swim-team practice from 8 to 10 a.m. every weekday for about six years.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for it,” she said.

Kirby now usually swims at the Midco Aquatic Center, but when it closes in the summer for maintenance, she returns to the Frank Olson pool, swimming laps at 5:30 a.m.

“It’s not an especially popular pool right now; there’s not as many bells and whistles that we’ve been accustomed to, especially kids,” Kirby said.

Indoor amenities at the recreation center will include a gym with courts for basketball, pickleball, volleyball and other sports; a walking/running track; fitness area; large indoor play area; community rooms; and public art. The activity/leisure pool will have a zero-edge entry, water-play features and a lap pool.

Don Kearney, director of the Parks & Recreation Department, described the Kirbys as champions of public-private partnerships. Their generosity allows the city to do more than it could on its own.

Kearney also thanked the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation for its assistance. The city, the Sioux Falls Parks Foundation and the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation form a triangle of entities working together, he said.

The Midco Aquatic Center, which opened in 2016, was a “game-changer” for indoor swimming in Sioux Falls, he said.

“We’re now hearing a need for more year-round activities,” he said.

Indoor pools are not inexpensive to build or operate, so public-private partnerships are essential, Kearney said. More opportunities for such partnerships exist, he said, at Frank Olson, the Westside Recreation Center and the Kuehn Park Aquatic Center. That pool also is slated for replacement.

The Kirbys’ one-time gift likely will not change the dollar amount the city will seek in bonding for the project, but it will be used to offset costs to construct the facility or another future aspect.

The new indoor pools will benefit residents of all ages, Kirby said.

“Kids inherently know water is fun,” she said. “Adults kind of sometimes come back to water when their bodies start not liking being on land so much.”