Voters in the Park District of Oak Park will decide whether or not the district builds a new indoor aquatic facility.
The Park District is seeking $40 million to build a new aquatic center adjacent to the Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex. Officials proposed an addition to the recreation center that would include three different aquatic features, including a 25-yard pool featuring six to eight lanes for lap swimming, a warm water pool for fitness, therapy and swim lessons and a splash pad with slides.
According to a tax calculator on the Park District’s website, the owner of a $400,000 home would see a monthly hike of $14.35, or just under $150 annually, as part of the district’s portion of property tax bills to help build and run the new facility.
The district currently operates two outdoor pools — Rehm pool at 515 Garland St. and Ridgeland pool at 415 Lake St.
If voters approve the referendum, a new indoor facility would be built in place of Ridgeland pool, said Jan Arnold, the district’s executive director. The pool would still open for this summer season and construction would start sometime after the season ends.
Arnold said the liner at Ridgeland pool, which was built in 1962, has outlived its useful life.
“It’s starting to lose more water and the concrete is starting to disintegrate,” Arnold said.
A community survey showed support for an indoor aquatic facility that would serve residents year-round instead of the three months of the year the Park District pools are open in the summer, Arnold said.
The indoor facility, which would include about 10,000 square feet for the three aquatic features, would be an addition to the existing Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex. The project also would include new locker room areas, an updated lobby area and additional space that can be used for birthday parties or other programming needs.
If the referendum passes, Rehm pool, which underwent extensive renovation in the early 2000s, would be the district’s only outdoor pool.
Arnold said the district would be able to meet the demand for outdoor swim space with Rehm pool. She noted Ridgeland pool typically operates at just 39% to 53% capacity during the summer months. Swim camps and swim lessons, currently held at the outdoor pools, also would be moved to the indoor facility, Arnold said.
Additional information about the Park District referendum can be found at pdop.org
If voters do not approve the referendum, the Park District’s capital improvement plan anticipates renovations at the outdoor pool taking place in 2031, Arnold said.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
