MORGANTOWN — BOPARC’s Marilla Pool is over the hill.
It looks like the park’s new multi-use pool complex will be on top of it.
Thrasher Group’s Sam Rich and Jeff Gola recently presented a project design that would relocate the pool to the top of the hill, in the current location of the softball/baseball diamond.
“It fits like a glove, no pun intended,” Gola said of the proposed location. “It fits right in that baseball field like it was meant to be that way.”
The project design, currently estimated between $7 million and $9 million, incorporates a number of features highlighted by more than 300 citizen survey responses as well as last October’s public input session. Those features include multiple pools and water slides, a splash pad, a lazy river, open-air shelter areas and new restrooms, concession areas and office space.
Trying to put these amenities within the current pool footprint isn’t possible. Gola said the new location will also allow for a better parking setup as Thrasher’s plan would move parking up against the pool area and route East Brockway Avenue, which runs through the park, around it.
Building the facility in a new location would also allow the current pool to generate revenue for BOPARC this summer while its replacement is being built.
“Stepping back from the pool and thinking big picture about the park, this is a big, expensive project that we’re going to talk about doing,” Rich said. “So how do we make sure we’re doing this the right way and putting the pool in the place where it makes sense for all the reasons I just mentioned?”
The public can weigh in on the design concept put together by Thrasher Group and aquatic facility design firm Counsilman-Hunsaker during a public input session planned for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Marilla Center.
The Marilla Pool project is one of two, along with a complete overhaul of the Morgantown Ice Arena, for which BOPARC intends to leverage the dedicated revenue it receives through the city’s sales tax in order to issue construction bonds.
A plan to update and upgrade Marilla Park’s skate/action park is also underway.
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