City Races Warm Temps to Open Indy Pools 5.23.11

WRTV

With Indianapolis city pools set to open this weekend, the race is on to make sure they're ready to handle the summer surge.

Mayor Greg Ballard helped unveil the city's newest spray park Monday at Wes Montgomery Park at 3400 N. Hawthorne Lane, which replaces a dilapidated public pool, 6News' Chance Walser reported.

"It was about a $3 million challenge to build a new pool, and we didn't have the funding to do that, so we actually designed the spray park," Ballard said of the $500,000 project.
It's part of a two-year, $30 million investment by Indianapolis leaders to restore the city's 21 public pools.

"I've been using the word disgusting, and I don't think that's too strong a term, to be honest with you. Now they're all in good shape," Ballard said.

Indy Parks Director Stuart Lowry said there are no plans to start phasing pools out in favor of the less expensive spray parks, but he said he would like to see more aquatic options available.

"There should be a balance between the two because you have zero-depth, very high engagement here (at the Wes Montgomery splash park), especially for younger kids in the spray parks, but the pools have validity too," he said.

The city has 21 aquatic centers and 15 splash parks. The goal is to get them open and operating properly by Saturday.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/27995547/detail.html