The Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park spent 2026 working on its indoor pool. The pool there now has a new interactive play structure, new overhead lighting across the aquatics area and a new overhead fabric air duct system. Staff also deep-cleaned every pool basin and serviced the pumps and mechanical systems, according to the township's 2027 Proposed Budget message, dated October 29, 2026. The township posted "Indoor Aquatics Renovations Complete" on August 14.
That wasn't the original order. The adopted 2026 budget described a two-phase, roughly $6 million project, with the outdoor aquatics area going first in 2026 and interior work following in 2027 or 2028. Over the summer the township flipped that order. The upgrades you can see this winter, and the ones planned next, are inside the building, where residents swim from fall through spring.
What's Different in the Water This Season
The indoor pool schedule lists four water features: the Leisure Pool, the Play Structure, the Large Slide and the Resistance Channel. The Play Structure is the new one. Here's the full list of 2026 indoor aquatics work as the budget message describes it:
- A new interactive aquatic play structure in the leisure pool area
- New overhead lighting throughout the aquatics facility
- A new overhead fabric air duct system
- Deep surface cleans of all pool basins
- Service to the facility's pump and mechanical systems
The building is busier than it has ever been. The same budget message says C&RC memberships hit record highs again in 2026, reaching nearly 4,700 memberships that cover more than 12,000 members. With that many members, the township's choice to spend on the indoor pool affects a lot of households in the colder months.
Why the Outdoor Plan Stalled on Bid Day
The outdoor phase was planned around a new speed slide. Under the spring 2026 plan, construction was expected to run from mid-September 2026 to May 2027, so the outdoor pool season wouldn't be affected. Then the bids came in.
The project architect wrote a May 22 memo, included in the June 1, 2026 Board of Commissioners agenda packet. It reported bid-day costs of $5,731,432.51, compared with its April 22 estimate of $3,377,976.00. That's about $2.35 million more, or roughly 70% over the estimate. The memo pointed to the slide itself as one cause. The bid documents had to be finished on a compressed schedule so the township could order a speed slide with a 7 to 9 month lead time, and that left no room for an updated estimate based on the final engineering. As the memo put it:
"Significantly more work was identified and clarified in the final engineered project bidding documents, particularly the extend of underground site & aquatics utilities required to complete the project, with the majority of this being under the existing concrete pool deck."
Bidders also pointed to the lost efficiency of building in winter and the cost of protecting the existing pool and deck inside a tight work area. According to the June 1 meeting minutes, the Board rejected the Phase I Outdoor Aquatics bids on a 5–2 roll-call vote.
The township's outdoor pool page now reads "We'll see you in May 2027!"
The Next Phase Stays Inside, Too
After the bids were rejected, the C&RC Implementation Advisory Committee met again on August 12 and August 25. At the Board's August 31 Informational and General Affairs meeting, Recreation Director Chris Biswick said the committee recommended doing the interior improvements first and coming back to the outdoor pool later, with facility security as the top priority. The township's Recreation and Leisure Services page says the adjusted phasing "delivers more immediate security, safety, and functionality while staying within current budgetary guidelines," and calls the outdoor pool improvements "a valued part of the facility's long-term vision."
The architecture firm, Weber Murphy Fox, presented preliminary designs. Here's what they would change about how you come and go:
| Area | Proposed change |
|---|---|
| Main entrance | Control desk moved closer to the exterior doors, with turnstiles that accept current membership passes |
| Guests | Nonmembers check in face-to-face with front desk staff |
| Waiting | A community lounge with soft seating next to check-in, for anyone waiting to pick up a member |
| Children's playroom | More levels of control and security |
| Aquatic corridor and locker rooms | Slip-resistant flooring, updated lockers and refreshed finishes |
| Other spaces | Additional changing rooms, a redesigned membership office, a new vending area and modified party rooms |
The fitness wall between the group exercise rooms would stay where it is, so classes keep their flexibility. The preliminary design PDF is posted on the township site.
On cost, the 2027 Proposed Budget assumes $3 million for the interior phase and $5 million for the exterior phase. Both figures will be refined through design and bidding in 2027, and the budget plans to fund them from the C&RC Fund reserve, pending a closer look at reserve levels and other funding sources. The Board held its public hearing on that proposed budget on November 2. The current estimate for the exterior phase is close to the full $6 million once planned for the whole project.
Getting Into the Upgraded Pool This Winter
Access depends on whether you have a membership. These are the township's current rules:
| How you get in | Cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Nonmember daily visitor pass | $15 per person, ages 2 and up | Monday to Friday only, by advance reservation. Passes open Fridays at 8 AM and are limited. No walk-ins and no weekend or holiday passes |
| Member's guest | $15 per guest, ages 2 and up | Up to five guests per membership per visit, no reservation needed |
| Lap lanes | Included with membership | Members only, by reservation. Two swimmers share a lane, and the booking maximum is 45 minutes |
A daily pass covers the indoor leisure pool and spa, group exercise classes, which may require registration, plus the fitness floors, basketball courts and track. Leisure pool hours change by day. For the week of November 2 to 8, the leisure pool was listed from 9 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Hours for each feature vary within those windows, so check the live indoor pool schedule before you pack the swim bag.
The Winter Math for a Household
The $15 daily rate adds up quickly for a family. Four people on one weekday visit pay $60. Two visits a month comes to $120, more than the $94 monthly resident rate for a family membership billed monthly on an annual plan. Families from surrounding communities pay $115 a month for that membership. Membership also gets you weekend swimming, which daily passes don't cover at all.
For a single cold season, the C&RC sells three-month memberships for the August 1 to March 31 period. A resident family pays $403 and an adult pays $238. Surrounding-community rates are $498 and $292. A resident family's three months work out to about $134 a month, compared with $94 on the annual plan. You pay that premium to skip the year-round commitment.
Swim lessons add another layer. The township runs American Red Cross group lessons year-round, from water readiness through stroke development and fitness swimming. The winter sessions are:
- November 30 to December 19, three classes
- January 4 to January 30, four classes
- February 1 to March 6, five classes
Members can register before nonmembers. In the online catalog, some November listings were already full while others still showed open spots.
Private lessons get cheaper per session as packages get larger. Four lessons cost $164 for members and $204 for nonmembers, about $41 and $51 each. Eighteen lessons cost $576 and $684, or $32 and $38 each. The private-lesson waitlist is open only to C&RC members and Upper St. Clair residents. For a family planning a full winter of lessons, the member discount and early registration count for as much as the monthly fee.
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