Mt. Prospect parks weighs future of Big Surf

One of the big issues expected to be on the table in 2015 for the Mount Prospect Park District is the future of Big Surf Wave Pool.

Originally constructed around 1960, Big Surf was renovated as a wave pool in 1984, 30 years ago. A recent study of the pool's facilities and operations by Oak Brook-based FGM Architects found that while Big Surf has been maintained well over the years, it is starting to show its age.

"The pool and bathhouse are facing both physical and functional obsolescence," FGM's report states.

Park district leaders now have to decide whether to make a series of recommended repairs to the existing pool or replace it with a new, and possibly very different, facility. FGM estimated that the repairs it suggests would cost about $3.6 million. Replacing the pool altogether could cost significantly more, the report stated.

"I expect the board's discussion on that will begin in January," Park District Executive Director Greg Kuhs said. "The question will basically be how much we're willing to spend to improve that pool."

Big Surf, located at 411 S. Maple St., Mount Prospect, has been a key summer attraction for the park district. In recent years, though, attendance has declined. FGM's report said the pool's attendance has gone down by an average of 3 percent in each of the past 10 years.

The renovations that FGM says are necessary would update everything from the surface of the pool to its wave-generating equipment to the adjacent bathhouse. Completing the renovations would make the pool more comfortable and increase its longevity, the report said.

FGM's report added that the renovations won't address another issue facing the pool - that today's families and recreational swimmers want amenities that Big Surf doesn't offer.

"Today's pools have become more interactive for all ages," the report states.

Kuhs said the report's conclusions "were pretty much what we expected."

"Obviously, the pool is getting up in age," he said. "We knew that going in."

Residents interested in reading FGM's report can find it on the Big Surf page of the park district's website, mppd.org.