Naperville Park District considering indoor pool possibilities
Respondents to a Naperville Park District survey ranked an indoor pool tops on their list of what they'd like to see at the future Southwest Community Park.
But preliminary plans for the 33-acre park as approved by park commissioners do not include an indoor swimming option.
That's because officials will need to put more study and analysis into where to potentially build an indoor pool, after Executive Director Ray McGury said Southwest Community Park, at 3252 Wolf's Crossing Road, is not the place.
"To put a facility with water at that location poses some real financial concerns for us as an organization," McGury said. "We believe it's just too far southwest in the city to move forward with something like that at this point."
The park district plans to review options for potential pool construction at other locations and present them to the board by the end of the year, McGury said.
"Indoor water," as officials call it, has been a frequently requested item on parks surveys since 2005, including in responses to a recent poll taken online by 1,210 people who shared thoughts about Southwest.
There was a failed referendum question about pool construction in 1999, and in 2006, a pool was part of a plan that fell through to build a recreation center at the Frontier Sports Complex.
When the district succeeded in opening a recreation center on Fort Hill Drive in August 2016, a pool wasn't included because of budget constraints, McGury said. A pool could cost between $6 million and $8 million to build, then another $500,000 each year to operate and maintain.
To residents who recently indicated a desire for a pool in Southwest Community Park, McGury said the district isn't ignoring them.
"They deserve an answer," he said.
The next step toward providing one is to meet with leaders of the YMCA of Metro Chicago.
Both YMCA facilities in Naperville - Kroehler at 34 S. Washington St. and Fry at 2120 95th St. - include pools. But McGury said YMCA officials have been "pretty public" that the Kroehler facility "is going to close at some point."
If the YMCA opts to include a pool in a future Naperville facility to replace Kroehler, McGury said the community's swimming needs might be met. Otherwise, he said, there could be room for more park district discussion about pool possibilities.