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Steel rises for aquatic center By Damian Mann Updated: Aug 26, 2022 02:46 PM A A Concrete has been poured, and steel is being erected for the $76 million Rogue X project in west Medford Steel framing is in the early stages at the Rogue X sports complex off Ross Lane. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] A milestone in the $76 million Rogue X aquatics and events center in west Medford was reached this week. The structural steel is being erected, giving local residents an idea of the scale of the 76,000-square-foot events center building. “An acre and a half of concrete has been poured for the events center,” said Rich Rosenthal, director of Medford Parks and Recreation. The recreational facility at Howard Memorial Park, at the corner of Ross Lane and Rossanley Drive, is one of the largest and most expensive municipal projects in Medford’s history and caps a series of major recreational projects undertaken by the city over the past 20 years. “It’s a very large and complicated construction project,” Rosenthal said. More concrete will be poured at a later date around the two swimming pools, which are destined to be open year-round, seven days a week, except for some holidays. Pence Construction began erecting the structural steel Aug. 22. The so-called guaranteed maximum price for the construction portion of the project is $66,712,536. Engineering, architectural drawings and other work bring the total cost to $75,781,036. Rogue X will be paid for through a combination of increased transient lodging taxes and other fees. While steep hikes in construction materials escalated costs last year, Rosenthal said the project remains within the current budget so far. The Rogue Credit Union Community Complex, dubbed Rogue X, should open sometime in late 2023, though a grand opening date hasn’t been set yet. Once completed, Rogue X will feature two indoor pools, a giant events center and two splash pads, with one indoors and one outdoors. The recreational pool will have a shallow entry for young children as well as an artificial river and a vortex. On one side will be a three-lane, 25-yard lap pool. Nearby would be two tubular slides, one 164 feet long, the other 176 feet in length, and an outdoor splash pad similar in size to the one at Hawthorne Park. To attract regional swim meets, water polo competitions and other events, a 13-lane competition pool will be built inside an adjacent building. Lockers and other facilities will be constructed next to the pools. The two pools will replace the former pool at Hawthorne Park as well as the pool at Jackson Park, which will open for the last time in summer 2023. Jackson Park, which opened in 1960, leaks thousands of gallons a water a day and will have operated for 63 years when local children take their last plunge at the end of next summer. In order to operate two year-round pools at Rogue X, Rosenthal said, the city will hire 40 part-time lifeguards as well as other part-time and full-time staff to operate the sprawling facility. The city hasn’t begun posting the new jobs yet. To help route traffic to Rogue X at the 58-acre Howard Memorial Sports Park, a small roundabout will be built at Rossanley Drive and Cheshire Way. The roundabout will also provide a safer route across the roadway for pedestrians. Rogue X is the latest in a long line of projects undertaken by the city over the past 20 years to help put Medford on the recreation map. Lithia & Driveway Fields in south Medford, formerly known as U.S. Cellular Community Park, opened in 2007 with an array of baseball, softball and soccer fields. Pear Blossom Park in Medford was part of an effort to revitalize the downtown, offering a space for entertainment, street fairs and the annual tree lighting ceremony for Christmas. Hawthorne Park, Bear Creek Park and many others have been remodeled or upgraded in the past 10 years. “Medford’s fortunate to have a high-quality park system,” Rosenthal said. Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected].