SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe and the construction company Roebbelen Contracting Inc. held a topping off ceremony for the final beam placement on the new recreation and aquatics center on Wednesday, September 25. The center will host a pool, athletics room, and kitchen, among a host of activities from the Parks and Recreation department. It’s set to open in early 2026.

In 2010, the Department of Public Works reported on the aging infrastructure of the old recreation center and the city began to plan. Four years later, the city council adopted the Parks, Trails, and Recreation Master Plan, which included a renovation of the currently existing Recreation and Swim Complex. By 2015, city council had put up Measure P, which proposed an amendment to the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) to help fund the renovation. Measure P passed in 2016, funding $2.1 million annually towards the project. But COVID-19 in 2020 delayed the work that needed to be done.

Since then, the city and construction crews have worked towards making the rec center a reality, and the topping off ceremony represented the culmination of four years of hard work. Ken Wenham, CEO of Roebbelen thanked the designers, the construction workers, and the city of South Lake Tahoe during the ceremony. “Your vision and tenacity are what brought this here,” Wenham said.

Wenham also explained the tradition of attaching a tree to the final beam when it is placed. “The tree that adorns the beam is a tradition that dates back to the 7^th century to symbolize growth, prosperity, and connection between nature and the built environment,” he said. He stated that the recreation center as a community space was like a tree and would nourish the community around it.

Mayor Cody Bass spoke at the ceremony as well, saying that the building had over $70 million funding it. He also added that the American Century Golf Tournament had donated a batting cage for the rec center.

Bass said that he was glad that in working with the county, the building “really ended up in the right place.” He highlighted the LEED Gold Certification, which is given to constructions that adhere to prerequisites and credits addressing carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality.

The mayor thanked all the partners that made the project possible and ended by saying, “This is truly something special for our community.”

John Stark, the director of the Parks and Recreation, spoke on the new activities planned for the rec center, some of which were being previewed through the current center. “To me, 2026 doesn’t feel too far off—it’s right around the corner,” he said.

The beam, which was fabricated by Golden State Steel, was signed by attendees such as fire chief Jim Drennan, senior planner Anna Kashuba, city housing manager Jessica Wackenhut-Lomeli, and members of the Roebbelen and JKAE team, who were responsible for construction, design, and engineering.

By Design Steel, a company from Oregon, then lifted the beam and tree and placed it onto the building, finishing this phase of construction.

Through the winter, the construction team will continue work on the above ground portions and ceiling. Next spring, they will be breaking ground to dig the pools for the aquatics building.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.