Roselle's Kemmerling Park coming along
The Roselle Park District's most anticipated project of the decade is emerging out of its cocoon.
Roughly a dozen people, including park board commissioners and district staff, toured Kemmerling Park on Wednesday to witness the $5 million project's growth since construction started in May. The park is undergoing a number of major improvements, mainly the construction of a new aquatic complex.
Though the park still is peppered with rocks and construction debris, its hottest features already are beginning to take shape. Visitors can clearly see the foundation and outline of the new eight-lane swimming pool attached to a bubble bench and a current channel. Its depth ranges from 3½ to 5 feet. A 12-foot dive pool with a drop slide and a platform with two dive boards rest nearby. By the time it's complete, the complex will hold roughly 380,000 gallons of water.
"The whole complex is going to be state of the art," Roselle Park Director Tom Kruse said.
A building housing a bath house, concession area and park offices is half built and partially roofed. A nearby baseball field already is complete. Besides the aquatic complex, the park soon will be the home of several other features. They include a walking path, two new sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, benches and bike racks and a new playground. Those have yet to emerge. Even though a fire caused roughly $100,000 in damages during a demolition accident at the beginning of construction, the project remains on schedule.
"We've had a great construction season," Kruse said. "If we can get some of the cement deck done (this year), we'll really be ahead of the game."
The pool should open Memorial Day weekend. It is designed to hold more than 600 occupants, but the park district will limit the number to that. Rates have not yet been discussed, but officials say they will be comparable to those of area pools. Hours of operation likely will run late into the evening, possibly until 9 p.m.
To alleviate parking problems, the park district has made an agreement with Roselle Elementary District 12. The district will allow visitors to park in its main lot. In exchange, the park district will help the district pay for repaving the lot.
The park district is also selling six-inch square memorial ceramic tiles that will make up a wall inside the office area. They cost $50 each. Roughly 150 already have been sold. A maximum of 300 will be sold. For details, call (630) 894-4200.