Final plans for Vermillion pool near completion

City officials say plans for a new pool in Prentis Park are almost ready to be made into reality.

All finalized designs will be completed before Thanksgiving, Vermillion Parks and Recreation Director Jim Goblirsch said.

Goblirsch said he’ll be getting bids on the pool’s play features this week, while bids for the pool construction as a whole won’t come until January.

The selected contractor will have the chance to break ground as early as March 1, but the current pool’s demolition won’t happen until Aug. 1, 2016.

Goblirsch said he won’t have a “solid number” for the project’s final cost until he sees the bids this winter, but a previous estimate was listed at $5.25 million for the entire Prentis Park project.

The new pool, complete with a 12 ft. diving board, multiple slides and a 190 ft. long lazy river, will be open to swimmers by Memorial Day 2017, Goblirsch said.

Pool construction was initially supposed to begin this August, City Manager John Prescott said.

Goblirsch said progress was slowed this summer when the community voted on a 5 percent malt beverage markup, the funds of which will go toward the park project. Passed originally by City Council last November, the markup was upheld with about a 65-35 majority, Goblirsch said.

About 25 percent of Vermillion’s registered voters attended the vote.

Prescott said he thinks there’s definite interest in the community for the final product.

“It’s an item that’s been discussed for a couple years – as projects like this take place, they evolve over time. It’s usually just not a one year type scenario,” he said. “So I think there’s good support for it and good interest in seeing something happen.
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Though Goblirsch understands that people may be “frustrated” with the project’s pace, he said the design and execution of a project this size is very detail-oriented.

“You don’t get a do-over with this,” he said “You get one shot to do it right.

Many of the pool’s features have been designed with a wide range of people in mind, Goblirsch said.

The lazy river, for example, will function as a play area for kids but will also serve as a therapeutic walkway for senior citizens.

Additionally, the pool’s six lap lanes will be reserved for swimming lessons, fitness and open swim hours throughout the day, though one ADA-accessible lane will stay available at all times.

“We tried to hit all age groups,” Goblirsch said.

The new pool itself will have a lifespan of about 50 years, he added.

Prescott said the new pool is one of three main components that will be completed in Prentis Park’s “first round” of updates. The other two new basketball courts and a hard surfaced parking lot, will follow the pool’s construction, respectively.

The improvements to the baseball fields and a temporary gravel parking lot have been completed in preparation for the construction.

Additionally, Goblirsch said the park as a whole has been cleared of bushes that harbor bugs and trash and could potentially be a safety hazard if someone were to hide behind them.

“It’s better to be proactive than reactive in those regards,” he said.

Ultimately, Goblirsch said the updates will give Vermillion residents a better quality of life, in hopes of drawing more people to USD and the community. He said it should benefit the city’s economy as a whole, because families will likely travel to it, as it will be the only pool of its kind in the area.

Though Prescott said he’s been more focused on the design aspects of the project so far, he believes certain features of the pool may convince people to come visit Vermillion.

“I think it will offer a different experience than currently what we can do in the community with respect to aquatics,” he said. “How that helps draw in people from other communities or neighboring towns, I guess I’m not immediately sure, but I see it as a positive.”