Palatine’s Eagle Pool getting modern makeover
The Palatine Park District may have closed one of its four pools at the season’s end, but swimmers and sunbathers next summer will enjoy far nicer digs at another spot.
Work has begun on a $3.8 million upgrade to Eagle Pool, a staple on the village’s north side since its construction in 1976.
“There’s been a lot happening in the way of pool design since then,” said Pat Moser, superintendent of parks and planning. “There will be many nice, new features.”
Among them are a water slide and a three-meter diving board to join the two shorter, less scary boards already at the pool, located at Oak Street and Home Avenue. A new zero-depth wading pool with spray features is being built, as well.
Moser also expects visitors will have more places to get out of the sun since the park district bought the house just to the north of the pool for $350,000, allowing for more lawn and shaded areas.
The owner of the home at 1501 N. Oak St. approached the park district about selling his home, Moser said.
Not all the upgrades to Eagle Pool are aesthetic.
The main pool currently consists of an aluminum shell, which has been eroding and getting thin. And a new bathhouse will be built that meets Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards. The “bather load” capacity will remain at 500 people.
Construction is expected to wrap up mid-to-late May, putting the project on track to finish in time for the pool’s regularly scheduled opening on the second Saturday in June. The project is being funded by borrowing through bond issues, Moser said.
Meanwhile, Willow Pool on Stark Drive east of Hicks Road has been demolished. Crews are returning the property back to turf and modifying a sidewalk leading to the adjacent playground.
Closing Willow Pool, the oldest and least attended of the four park district pools, wasn’t a popular decision with residents who utilized it. However, officials have said that between Eagle Pool to the north, Birchwood Pool to the south and the Family Aquatic Center downtown, the park district boasts three modern facilities that meet the needs of its residents.