Medford’s newest indoor pools are holding water, and a new $75 million aquatics and sports center in west Medford is on track to welcome swimmers in early January, city officials said Monday.

An 8,200-square-foot competition pool and 6,100-square-foot recreational pool were filled at Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Drive, “late last week,” according to Medford Parks, Recreation and Facilities Director Rich Rosenthal.

The city is not allowing local media inside the 140,000-square-foot facility at this time but posted photos on its official Facebook page.

Rosenthal described filling the indoor pool as a necessary component of the pools’ plaster-curing process. 

Rogue Credit Union Community Complex, better known as Rogue X, will feature water amenities such as a “lazy river,” two waterslides — one a 95-foot “speed slide” and another a 175-foot “corkscrew” slide that includes some outdoor sections — and a “circular vortex,” which Rosenthal described as “similar to a Jacuzzi, but it’s not 104 degrees.” 

Rosenthal described the features as “exciting amenities” for an indoor aquatic center, but he sought to manage expectations for anyone expecting Rogue X to be a “water park.” The facility is an “indoor aquatics center” and was designed as such. 

“If people think this is a Great Wolf Lodge, they’re going to be disappointed,” Rosenthal said, referring to the indoor wave pool and resort in Centralia, Washington.

Rogue X was designed primarily to replace Jackson Pool and the shuttered pool at Hawthorne Park, both of which have an been used to offer affordable swimming lessons by Medford Parks, Recreation and Facilities.

“A water park is purely entertainment,” Rosenthal said. “You don’t see a lot of swim lessons happening at a water park.”

Rosenthal said he expects the pool complex, however, to be a “game changer” for youth and adult competitive swimming events in the region. The facility will feature the largest competitive pool between Eugene and Redding, California.

“It’s ideal for a water polo competition,” Rosenthal said. “It will be a place where the high schools and the local swim club will have swim meets.”

The facility is the “largest building that Medford’s ever built,” and in addition to the aquatics offerings, Rogue X will feature a 76,000-square-foot room capable of fitting eight high school basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts or 360 trade show booths. 

Rosenthal said that flooring just went in for the event room. It is striped for basketball, volleyball and pickleball, and includes specially designed poles that come out of the floor to hold volleyball nets. 

“Every time I go, I see something new installed,” Rosenthal said.

Crews are working on “all of the finer touches,” and staff are planning to move into the building by the middle of December. Full- and part-time staff have already been hired.

“It’s more than just something on paper that we need. These are real people on our payroll,” Rosenthal said.

A grand opening event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 6, with a weekend of events that include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a fundraiser, and basketball and swimming exhibitions. Rosenthal described the opening weekend as “sort of a showcase, but it also allows us to test the equipment and our processes and procedures in a fairly controlled environment.”

The first day of normal operations would be Monday, Jan. 8.

The city is selling passes for 2024 now, which Rosenthal called “a great gift” for the holidays. Monthly passes start at $24 per month for youths living within Medford city limits, and family passes start at $99.

The city is taking reservations now for facility rentals in 2024. Birthday party room rentals start at $165, and the event center can be rented for special events at rates starting at $1,850 per day. For more information, see roguexmedford.com.