On Tuesday, the Leawood Planning Commission unanimously approved signage for a new bike hub near the entrance of the Leawood Aquatic Center.
Why it matters: The approved signs are one of the final elements needed to complete the newly-erected outdoor space, which has been under construction since last year.
The details: Being just built west of the Aquatic Center, 10601 Lee Boulevard, the bike hub will include a shelter with benches, picnic tables, a bike fix-it station, a water mister, bike racks, a water fountain and maps of the city’s north and south bike loops.
It will also have outdoor restrooms nearby for park and trail users.
The signage approved by the planning commission Tuesday would add two new wall signs to the stone-clad knee walls marking the entrance to the hub.
Each sign would be roughly 10-inches tall, with one sign reading “BIKE” and the other reading “WALK.”
Other updates: The addition of a bike hub is just one of several changes the city’s Aquatic Center is currently undergoing.
With the original facility built in 1975, the pool house is also being replaced with new and updated amenities, including a new pool, concession stands and bathrooms.
Upon its completion, the renovated center will also have a new event space that will be available to rent for up to 80 people or can be divided for smaller groups.
Timeline: While Leawood Park and Recreation director Chris Claxton said construction on the bike hub is nearly completed, finishing the Aquatic Center is a bit behind schedule.
“We are still hoping to get the pool open by the end of May, but, like many projects, there’s some problems with steel and some problems with labor,” Claxton said.
The hope, she said, is to have construction of the pool and other essential amenities, like the facility’s restrooms, finished in time for the Aquatic Center’s opening on Saturday, May 28.
