Antioch reaching out to residents to plan aquatic center
Some Antioch residents will have a role in shaping plans for a village aquatic center.
Village officials have hired a survey group to randomly call 500 residents to get their vision on where and how to build the project.
Mike Kudla, head of the parks and recreation department, said the survey company will ask residents whether the current pool at Williams Park should be renovated into an aquatic center, or if a new center should be built at the 12-acre Bitner Farms site on North Avenue.
The Williams Park pool, located off Main Street, is more than 50 years old, Kudla said, and has gone through several renovations and expensive repairs since it opened in 1952. The Bitner Farm property purchase a decade ago was originally planned for parks and recreational activities.
“Part of the package we need to turn into the state for the pool is acquiring the vision the community has for the aquatic center,” Kudla said. “It's important to get the opinion of residents and to see what their overall vision is.”
People will also be asked about other amenities they would like to see at the proposed pool facility, Kudla said, as well as an overall feel for other parks and amenities in Antioch.
The survey comes one week after the village hired an architectural firm to create designs for a new aquatic center. The Aurora-based architectural firm has been told to create proposals for a new aquatic center and a renovation of the existing facility.
The survey results and designs will be brought to the board in early November, Kudla said.
The village has $2 million available through bonds to renovate the existing pool, or to build a new one, Kudla said. The village is also applying for a state grant to match the funds.
“The grant has to be turned into the state by Nov. 29, which is why we are pushing forward now,” he said. “If we get it, we can build a nice aquatic center for $4 million.”
The goal is to begin construction on the facility in spring 2011, Kudla said, with a completion date set for 2012.