Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— What to do with the aging Park Forest Aqua Center was once again before the Park Forest Village Board on Monday evening. After hearing Kevin Adams, Director of Recreation, Parks & Community Health, explain the latest remodeling plan, the Board members present approved it unanimously. Trustee Randall White was absent from the meeting.

The new plan calls for renovating the existing east pool, which will remain an age 18+ pool. A new combination facility will include:

• a zero-depth pool,
• a slide tower with a plunge pool,
• and a four-lane lap pool.

While not part of the current plan, there is a potential to build a splash pad at a later date.

The existing bathhouse will see no significant modifications.

The new plan, developed by the village staff in consultation with Williams Architects, reflects input from a village survey. Residents weighed in on pool design, features, and willingness to pay. A total of 635 residents responded to the survey. The executive summary of the survey results is on the village website.

The Cost of Redevelopment is $10M

Officials estimate the redevelopment cost at $10 million. The east pool remodel will likely cost $1.5M. The new, combined pool will cost $8.5M. Of the $10M, 9% will be for architectural and engineering costs.

This total cost is slightly higher than the design recommended by the village staff in August. That was prior to the resident survey. That design had a single pool with a four-lane lap prior and a stand-alone splash pad. The total rebuilding of the existing pool complex would have cost an estimated $20M. That was financially impractical, officials decided.

Admittedly, the new facility is costly. However, Adams noted that the design the Board approved will minimize the number of lifeguards needed. This will also reduce the high-maintenance costs of the old facility, thereby lowering the village’s annual operating expenses.

Opening Targeted for 2027

A lot must happen before the new facility opens to swimmers. The village staff will work with architectural and engineering firms to finalize the schematic design, development, and construction documents. Those documents must then go through a permitting process with state officials. Afterward, construction bids will go out, and the best plans will be approved. All of this preliminary work will take the better part of 2026. Actual construction should start in November of next year.

Adams said that no scenario would allow any portion of the Aqua Center to reopen in 2026.

The current plans call for a ten-month construction phase and completion in August of 2027. Adams noted that the renovation of the east pool might see completion before that date. This would allow a partial re-opening earlier in the 2027 season.

While August is later than the village initially discussed, the current proposal includes conservative estimates for the design phase. The village must also secure permit approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health. This is beyond the village’s control.

Financing the New Facility

The $10M cost of the new facility will require an increase in the village tax levy starting in 2027.

The village has $3M in available funds to direct toward the project. That leaves $7M to be covered by a bond issuance. This would require an increase in the village tax levy by 1.25%.

Per the information provided to the Board by the village staff, the village estimated the tax increase for the bond. In short, consider a homeowner who currently pays $10,000 in property taxes annually. Of that $10,000 property tax bill, the village portion is approximately $4,000. That homeowner would see an increase of $50 per year due to the redevelopment of the Aqua Center.

Per the resident survey, 53% of respondents said that they “would” (19%) or “might” (34%) support a tax increase for the Aqua Center, while 46% were opposed to any increase.

Membership cost expectations

When questioned by several board members, Adams stated that no decisions have yet been made on membership costs. This includes a differential for non-village residents. These price estimates will be part of an overall marketing plan developed during the construction of the facility. The village board will review this plan.

In the resident survey, 45% of those who expressed interest in future membership said they would be willing to pay up to $50 per person. Furthermore, 36% would be willing to pay up to $100 per person.

Finally, a Path Forward

The board’s approval on Monday brings to a close a two-year period when the design of a new facility – or even having a facility at all – was an ongoing topic of Board and resident discussion. The process of finalizing design plans, securing the necessary legal approvals, and building the new facility can now officially begin.