A consultant has urged the Joliet Park District to build an $8.8 million outdoor swimming complex to meet the demand for public swimming in coming years.
Water Technology Inc., of Mt. Prospect, presented the recommendation Tuesday night at a Park District special meeting. Park Board President Harlow Lockwood said the board would discuss the consultant’s report and recommendations at a meeting, possibly in a week or two.
In September, the board commissioned a committee to study swimming needs in Joliet after the district decided not to open its two outdoor pools last summer because of high operating and repair costs and declining attendance. The decline was viewed as a result of the pools’ disrepair. The district plans to open the east side Nowell Park Pool next summer, Lockwood said.
The consultant suggested building a pool with a water slide and other features on a 5.5-acre site adjacent to the west side Inwood Pool. About 3,000 people at a time could use the facility, which in its first year could attract about 201,000 people and produce a profit from admissions exceeding $500,000, said Carl Fuerst, vice president for Water Technology Inc.
If the board decides to construct the complex, it could open as soon as the summer of 1999, he said.
