A new park replacing the old Marty Pool at 75th and Conser streets in northern Overland is one step closer to reality.
The new park, called Marty Park, will feature elements like a splash pad — a nod to the former pool — and a new playground. It will sit on the same property where the former Marty Pool was, near Overland Park Firehouse No. 41.
Earlier this month, the Overland Park Planning Commission voted 10-0 to approve a preliminary development plan for the new park. (Chair Kip Strauss was absent from the meeting.)
“I think this is a great use for the space that was a pool, so I’m very happy,” Commissioner Holly Streeter Schaefer said on Oct. 13.
What will Marty Park look like?
- On top of the playground and splash pad, the new park will also have shade structures, a shelter and grilling station.
- The park will also have hammock swings, seating, walking paths and a tricycle loop intended for younger children.
- In addition to the park upgrades, Overland Park will install a fence around the north, east and west sides of the park, as well as a new monument sign welcoming visitors.
- Construction is expected to start this year, per the Overland Park capital improvements project list.
- The city has budgeted $2.75 million for the park conversion project.
Marty Pool was decommissioned in 2022
Overland Park decommissioned the pool near West 75th and Conser streets in 2022 after decades of offering neighborhood families a place to cool off in the summer.
Marty Pool’s closure was part of a long-term plan laid out in the city’s old Parks and Recreation Master Plan to decommission some of the city’s pools over the next couple of decades. Overland Park previously closed Roe Pool and converted it into a community park.
After the pool closed, the facility served as a temporary fire station while nearby Firehouse No. 41 underwent reconstruction. The city had retrofitted the space to sleep a team of five first responders and built a barn structure to house a fire apparatus.
Then, after the new firehouse opened, the city slated the pool for demolition to make way for the new, small-scale neighborhood park.
More Overland Park parks news: ‘A significant moment’ — Overland Park dedicates new sister city park
