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Channahon — The Channahon Park District’s Tomahawk Aquatic Center is receiving a makeover for 2024, and construction on the project already is underway.
The 30-year-old pool facility, which closed early this season to accommodate the construction work, will reopen in the spring with a second water slide and an all-new resort-style splash pad for children, replacing the existing sand play area and beach volleyball courts.
“We closed the pool on Aug. 13, and I think we had the construction crews in on Aug. 14 to get started,” facilities manager Angela Brown said. “We wanted to take advantage of the mild fall weather for the construction so we can finish up in spring and open on time.”
In addition to the new attractions, the construction includes some basic maintenance work to keep the pool functioning efficiently.
“We needed to do some repairs to make sure the facility stays functional but also give the community something new to make sure it stays appealing,” Brown said.
The pool itself is not being changed or expanded, but a new slide – an enclosed body slide flume – will be built off the same tower as the existing slide, and the splash pad will take the place of the sand areas.
Brown said the decision to replace the sand areas partially stemmed from maintenance concerns.
“The sand created a bit of a problem because, even though we have showers, the kids would roll around in the sand then run past the lifeguards and jump in the pool to rinse off, so we always had sand getting in the water,” she said. “Getting rid of that will help with the cleanliness of the facility and will mean less maintenance on an ongoing basis, which is a big cost-saving measure.”
The new play area will include small slides for children as well as a large dump bucket and multiple interactive spraying features.
The renovations are budgeted to cost $2.5 million, although the price has been offset by a $400,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant from the state of Illinois, and by $550,000 gained through the park district’s 2021 sale of the Skateland Recreation Center roller rink.
Brown said that, so far, the project is on track to be completed in the spring, and the pool is scheduled to open as usual June 1, the Saturday after Memorial Day, with the new attractions operational.