Bids are due from contractors today, and city officials hope to have work under way on those two features in mid- to late-August. That likely will require Water Raves to close before Labor Day this summer, but Kettering parks director Mary Beth Thaman said the city won’t close the park until contractors are completely ready.
“We will keep the pool open to the bitter end,” she said. “If it’s closed and it’s 100 degrees and nothing’s going on (with construction), that’s not so fun for a kid who’s 6 years old and wants to go swimming.”
The project is part of the city’s park improvement program stemming from the bond issue passed by Kettering voters in 2008.
The fitness addition will be on the southwest side of the rec center, and its position on what is now a grassy slope overlooking Water Raves will give users a panoramic view of the water park. The fitness addition will allow the rec center to turn some current fitness rooms into multipurpose space, including more room for exercise classes.
Steve Gels, the city’s construction project manager, said the goal is to have the fitness center and water park — which will be renamed Adventure Reef — open by Memorial Day 2011, barring construction delays.
The rec center renovation will include a variety of other updates, including a new sauna and whirlpool at KRC’s main pool, refurbished locker rooms, the resurfacing of the indoor track and a canopy to cover the main entrance to the rec center. Work on the lobby and locker rooms is likely to start this fall.
City spokeswoman Amy Berlean said some functions may be relocated during construction, and the main pool will be closed at some point, but the timing and duration are not finalized. For news on park renovations, visit www.ketteringoh.org, and click on the link for park updates.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2278 or jkelley@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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