"Right now, we've got one pool," Trenton Albers of the City of Papillion told WOWT in August. He was explaining why the city is rebuilding Papio Bay Aquatic Center, and he put the main goal simply: "to be able to spread the crowd out."
To get there, Papillion is giving up a full summer. WOWT reported on August 20, 2026 that Papio Bay will be closed for the 2027 season and reopen in 2028. That lost season traces back to a decision the City Council made two weeks earlier. The city had a construction partner offering a lower price, and it walked away from the deal because the lower price came with a smaller pool.
A Project That Has Been on the List Since 2011
The Papio Bay expansion has been in Papillion's Capital Improvement Program since 2011. A 2024 aquatic study recommended expanding the existing park at Papillion Landing instead of building a separate aquatic facility somewhere else in town. That recommendation set the course for everything after it. With all the growth going to one site, the design had to fit enough new space on that site to actually relieve the crowding.
The concept announced in January 2026 called for an expanded six-lane pool, a new diving area, more slides, a lazy river, interactive spray and play features for kids, a bigger bathhouse, and relocated sand volleyball courts. The proposal also included new concessions and family bathrooms.
Each of those features gives swimmers a separate place to be. The lazy river, the diving area and the kids' spray zone each pull people away from the main pool, and that is the "different areas" Albers was describing.
How the Schedule Slipped a Year
When KETV reported the plan on January 13, 2026, the timeline was tight. Papio Bay would open for summer 2026, close after that season for construction, and aim to reopen in 2027, though the exact date was uncertain. Here is how it moved from there:
- Earlier approvals. The council chose a Construction Manager at Risk delivery method under Resolution R25-0195. After a formal bidding process, Resolution R26-0052 awarded the CMAR contract to Sampson Construction.
- April 21, 2026. The city's staff report on the Sampson agreement said the project fit within the current CIP budget. The construction price would be a Guaranteed Maximum Price negotiated later and brought back to council.
- August 4, 2026. Council passed R26-0153, which ended the CMAR approach and terminated Sampson's contract.
- August 18, 2026. Council approved the $9.5 million bond that covers Papio Bay and two other park projects. WOWT reported the vote "on Tuesday" in its August 20 story.
- August 20, 2026. WOWT reported the 2027 closure and the expected 2028 reopening.
The research behind this post found no published bid date or construction start since that August report. For now, 2028 is the city's expectation, and residents shouldn't count it as a fixed date.
Why the City Turned Down a Lower Price
The staff report attached to R26-0153 explains the decision in plain language. The city, Sampson and the design engineers at JEO Consulting Group met many times trying to agree on a Guaranteed Maximum Price and couldn't. According to the report, Sampson tried to bring the price down "by making substantial reductions in the scope of the project, including significant changes to the City's desired design, rather than through value engineering." The cuts lowered the cost, but in the city's words they "diminished the original project objectives and expectations."
Value engineering usually means delivering the same pool for less money through cheaper materials or smarter construction. Cutting scope means building less pool. Since the whole point of the project is to spread people across more areas, every slide or zone removed works against that goal.
The city now plans for JEO to finish the design, which was about 75 percent complete, with input from city staff. Construction will then be bid out under a design-bid-build method, and the report says that approach lets the city "finalize the design for the expansion and renovation as the City sees fit." Ending the contract costs relatively little. Sampson is owed payment for completed pre-construction work, capped at $50,819.60, plus termination-related administrative costs. Any new construction contract has to come back to council for approval.
The features listed above are the announced concept and haven't yet been locked in as the final bid package. The city's commitment to finishing the design itself makes it reasonable to expect the core of that concept to survive.
Where the Money Comes From
Papillion has been assembling the funding for some time. In April 2025, KETV reported that the city received a $1.1 million state Civic and Community Center Financing Fund grant, which the city said closed a funding gap for the project. The mayor's FY2026/27 budget letter proposed moving $3.6 million from the General Fund into the voter-approved half-cent sales tax fund to complete Papio Bay's funding.
WOWT reported that the bond doesn't raise taxes. It is paid from the half-cent sales tax for parks and recreation that voters approved in 2016, with the remaining project costs coming from city reserves. No single approved total for the Papio Bay project has been published, and the final number will depend on the bids.
Two Other Projects Scheduled for the Same Summer
The bond also pays for two other projects, and both are scheduled for 2027. The year without Papio Bay is also the year two new public spaces are expected to open.
An inclusive playground at Halleck Park. The bond fully funds a $1.2 million accessible playground at Halleck Park Pavilion. Albers told WOWT that residents had asked for it for years and that it is expected to open by summer or fall of 2027. Olsson was chosen from nine design firms. The playground will go where the older playground and horseshoe pits are now, and the project includes accessible parking improvements. Olsson's contract calls for two design concepts that account for circulation, zones for different ages and abilities, shade, and comfort before a manufacturer is chosen.
A trailhead on First Street. The bond puts $600,000 toward a $2 million First Street trailhead project. It will link downtown Papillion to the YMCA on 72nd Street on the north side of Papio Creek. "You can just hop right on the trail out of downtown," Albers said. The project is set for summer 2027, though no exact completion date has been announced. At the same August 4 meeting where it ended the Papio Bay contract, the council approved a $262,000 design and engineering agreement for the trail and trailhead. It also approved $41,975 for more permanent programmable LED lighting downtown.
Where to Swim in Summer 2027
The closest replacement is indoors. In summer 2026, the natatorium at Papillion Landing ran a schedule from May 18 to August 9 with lap swim, resistance walking, fitness classes, open swim and family swim. All pool features were running during family swim, but not all of them were available during open swim. We found no notice that the indoor pool will close during construction, but its 2027 schedule hasn't been posted.
| Option | Where | What we know now |
|---|---|---|
| Papillion Landing natatorium | 1046 W. Lincoln St., Papillion | Ran family swim and open swim in summer 2026 |
| Prime Time H2O Zone, Gretna Crossing YMCA | Gretna | Day passes available to nonmembers; slides and a lazy river |
| Zorinsky Pool | 3808 S. 156th St., Omaha | City of Omaha outdoor pool; listed as closed for the 2026 season |
| Karen Pool | 6288 H St., Omaha | City of Omaha outdoor pool |
| Deer Ridge Pool | 585 S. 126th St., Omaha | City of Omaha outdoor pool |
| Cascio Pool | Bellevue | Listed among City of Bellevue facilities |
None of these options had posted 2027 hours or pass details in the sources reviewed for this post, so check with each one before you build a summer routine around it.
Papillion Landing This October
The building next to the closed pool already has a busy month planned. Friday Night Bites brings food trucks and yard games to Papillion Landing on Friday, October 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. Halloween Safe Night is free and runs Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Papillion Landing Field House, 1022 W. Lincoln St. The free Kids Halloween Parade starts at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, at Papillion Landing, 1046 W. Lincoln St. Inside, the October gym calendar includes home-school volleyball drop-ins, youth volleyball and adult fall and winter volleyball across the Landing's courts.
A builder's price that drops because features quietly disappear is something Melissa Ruff watches for every time she helps a family with a new-construction contract or a custom build. If you're planning a build around Papillion and want a second set of eyes on what a bid actually includes, reach out to Missy.
