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DeKALB – DeKalb residents won’t have a public pool to swim in this summer, but DeKalb Park District officials announced Friday that they believe the wait will be worth it.
The park district confirmed that Hopkins Pool, 1403 Sycamore Road, will be closed for the 2024 season while undergoing an estimated $8.5 million in facility renovations. A tentative grand reopening of Hopkins Pool is expected in summer 2025, according to district documents.
The closure and renovations are the result of yearslong deliberation by the DeKalb Park District and park board of commissioners to determine the future of the aging pool.
Officials previously said that a 2024 season closure was likely.
The closure was confirmed at the park board meeting Thursday, according to the district.
Renovations include landscaping, reshaping the baby pool to accommodate capacity needs, redesigning the fast-pass entrance at the north parking lot and reconfiguring the main entrance accessible through the south parking lot, plans show.
Project leaders hope to present an updated project cost report at the April 25 park board meeting, according to the district.
At the board’s Thursday meeting, officials determined that it would cost an additional $30,000 in order to keep the pool open for the 2024 season, according to district documents.
The board in turn unanimously agreed to stay the course with the district’s renovation plans, prompting the temporary closure of the facility.
The park district also has collected public feedback throughout the process, officials said, and more opportunities for residents to learn about the plans are coming.
A series of public open houses is expected to provide more information on the renovations, according to the district.
In neighboring Sycamore, some residents have pushed for the Sycamore Park District to consider installing a new community pool after the old one closed for good in August 2022. Sycamore Park District officials have said they’re open to ideas, although they previously have cited budget constraints and concerns that a new pool would cost an estimated $16 million.
The nearby Genoa Township Park District previously announced that it would offer discounted nonresident pool passes to residents who live in Sycamore, Kingston, Hampshire and Belvidere.