The city of Roeland Park last week celebrated the groundbreaking of improvements to the Roeland Park Aquatic Center, 4843 Rosewood Drive.
The city council last month awarded a $1.6 million aquatic center improvement contract to Royal Construction. Mayor Mike Kelly said the aquatic center groundbreaking is a bit of good news for the city amid COVID-19, especially considering the lack of a 2020 pool season.
“One of the silver linings and one of the hopeful things that we have is this aquatic center revitalization,” Kelly said. “Being able to break ground on that was very encouraging.”
When swimmers and Roeland Parkers head back to the pool for the 2021 season, they can expect numerous changes. Below are the improvements being made to the aquatic center, as outlined on the city’s website:
- Two in-pool float features
- A new spray ground and tube slide
- Shade structures
- A toddler slide
- ADA-compliant ramps
- Privacy improvements in the men’s locker room
- Demolition of the existing baby pool, slides and vortex pool
The $1.6 million contract also included the following three bid alternates: open and enclosed flume slides, two rectangular shade structures and lightning suppression. All of the improvements are on track to be completed by the time the pool opens for summer 2021.
Kelly said residents have already proposed a number of opening celebrations, including a community potluck or filling up the pool for the first time with fire trucks.
The city is excited for community projects expected for completion in 2021 including improvements to the aquatic center and R Park, and the Sunflower Medical Group development, Kelly said.
“Hopefully next year when things get somewhat back to the new normal we’ll be able to enjoy a little bit of the fruits of the labor, and it will be a very exciting year for Roeland Park,” Kelly said.
