The Bay Aquatic Park Honored with Prestigious 2026 CPRA Columbine Award

The Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) has selected the City and County of Broomfield’s (CCOB) Bay Aquatic Park as the recipient of the 2026 Columbine Award for Renovated Park Design. The state award recognizes the completion of the facility’s transformative Phase IV renovation project, which modernized the community destination while preserving the family-oriented atmosphere guests have enjoyed since its opening in 1991.

Modernizing a Community Staple

Originally master-planned in 2011 to address aging infrastructure, the final Phase IV project represented a $10.4 capital investment led by BHA Design and Pinkard Construction, began in Summer 2024, and The Bay reopened to the public on July 3, 2025.

Key project features and facility additions include:

Complete Pool Replacement and Redesign: Removal and replacement of the main leisure/lap pool, featuring zero-depth entry, an expanded "runway" divider for child safety and six 25-yard lap lanes to support fitness swimming and programming.
New Water Attractions: Installation of a modern interactive water play structure, two new body slides with a splashdown pool, a family "Otter" slide and cosmetic refreshes to existing features.
Rooftop Party Deck and Facility Upgrades: Construction of a new pump house set into the hillside topped with a reservable rooftop party deck offering mountain views, alongside new shade structures, expanded deck space, ADA accessibility upgrades and modern LED lighting for evening family swims.

Overcoming Complex Constraints

The award highlights CCOB's collaborative approach to overcoming site, environmental and budgetary challenges:

Landlocked Site Logistics: Uniquely positioned within the City and County of Broomfield’s municipal complex, adjacent to Brunner Reservoir, the Broomfield Community Center and Community Park, construction access required navigating through the adjacent Highland Park neighborhood. Staff executed a targeted community engagement plan, establishing dedicated haul routes, regular neighborhood meetings and hosting a neighborhood appreciation event upon completion.
Efficiency and Sustainability: Relocating mechanical equipment closer to the main pool improved water circulation, lowered energy and water usage and updated operations to meet current pool health and safety codes.
Operational Innovations: Following reopening, CCOB introduced a pre-purchased timed ticketing model to manage high visitation number and increase overall safety and operational effectiveness, reduce entry lines and guarantee access for families. With the addition of pool lights, night sessions and after hours parties as well as morning lap swim opportunities are now offered, adding to the overall experience at the Bay.

The CPRA Columbine Award celebrates projects across Colorado that demonstrate innovation, operational efficiency and significant community benefit.

For more details on operations or to view facility updates, visit Broomfield.org/Bay or BroomfieldVoice.com/TheBayRenovations.

For a full list of recent accolades and more information, visit Broomfield.org/AwardsAndHonors.

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