Rosemont splash pad opens this week

Rosemont residents can beat the summer heat with the opening of a new splash pad this week at the Rosemont Recreation Center.

The splash pad at 7128 Barry St., near the "Courts" apartments, is the second such facility in the village. It was built to serve families living in those apartments.

The village's other splash pad, built four years ago at the Rosemont Park District's headquarters, 6140 Scott St., is not accessible to some residents, Rosemont Park Board President Rick Drehobl said.

Drehobl said right now families who live in the "Courts" apartments have to cross two major thoroughfares - Mannheim and Higgins - to get to the park district's splash pad and its indoor pool at Rosemont Grade School.

"It's unsafe, so we're trying to get as much facilities as close to them," Drehobl said. "We want to have more things for them over there so that they don't go on the major streets."

The Rosemont Recreation Center is owned by the village of Rosemont, but run by the park district. Building the splash pad was a joint venture. The village paid roughly $200,000 toward the cost of transforming an existing parking lot, while the park district put up $33,000, Drehobl said.

The fenced-in pad area has roughly eight lounge chairs, two picnic tables and six benches where families can bring in food to eat.

Officials propose to begin work on gymnasium improvements at the recreation center in the coming months. The building presently has artificial turf and is mainly used for indoor soccer. The plan is to create marked volleyball and basketball courts with tile flooring.

The village will be paying the roughly $1.8 million cost of renovations, Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens said.

"We're just happy to be able to do that for that area, and continue to enhance the recreation facility to be able to service those people a little bit better," Stephens said.

A ribbon cutting for the splash pad will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday.