MORGANTOWN — East Brockway Avenue through Marilla Park will likely be closed through early March as March-Westin continues site preparation for BOPARC’s new pool complex.
Work at the new pool location is underway in the park’s upper section as BOPARC prepares for one last summer with the 65-year-old pool in lower Marilla Park.
The new aquatic park will include water slides, a sprayground area, a lazy river and a deep well with a zero-grade entry. The complex will also include a pavilion and sunshade areas.
In addition, BOPARC will move its administrative offices up the hill to share space with the structure that will include pool concessions and mechanicals. Doing so will free up the Marilla Center for more programmatic use in the heart of a redesigned lower park.
March-Westin was the lowest of three bidders for the project, coming in at $12.1 million. Once a 10%, or $1.2 million, construction contingency is added in along with another $925,000 in miscellaneous fees, the total project budget is $14,234,000.
The new pool complex is slated to open in 2025.
BOPARC President Danielle Trumble said traffic on East Brockway will likely be impacted a second time when a portion of the street is relocated to allow parking directly adjacent to the new pool complex.
In other pool news, Krepps Pool, now pushing 30 years, is also getting some off-season attention.
BOPARC invested $112,000 in the purchase and installation of a new liner, which is expected to be in place before pool season starts.
Lastly, the park board recently approved a bid of $69,981 from Parotta Paving to install a crushed gravel walking track around the popular pocket park known as Paul Preserve.
The three-acre park is at the corner of Darst Street and Mineral Avenue in the city’s Jerome Park Neighborhood.
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