JANESVILLE For generations of Janesville families, summers at Rockport Pool have meant swimming lessons, lifeguard whistles and cannonballs off the diving board.
Now, after more than four decades, city officials need to make significant upgrades to the aging facility. Theyre also looking at ways to make the facility sustainable for years to come.
Residents came to a community engagement forum Thursday to help shape a planned renovation of Rockport Pool, offering ideas ranging from splash pads and water slides to shaded gathering spaces. The total cost of renovations: $3.98 million a price tag that includes design work and upgrading infrastructure.
Rockport Pool has served the community well. It continues to serve the community well, but it is in need of updates, Recreation Director Shelley Slapak told attendees. Were looking forward to making some needed repairs and infusing new amenities into this facility that will help encourage more people to come to this pool and stay within this community.
Built in 1981, the pool has reached the point that many of its mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems must be replaced.
Blake Theisen of Madison-based Parkitecture + Planning helped design the new Palmer Pool completed last year. He said Rockport improvements are non-negotiable and will consume a significant portion of the renovation budget before recreational upgrades are considered.
We start there, we figure out what that list of needs are, then that leaves us with the rest of the allocation for fun stuff to make the improvements to enhance the facility to make it more patron friendly and inviting, Theisen said.
The renovation would also modernize the bathhouse by bringing it into compliance with current building codes. Proposed changes include redesigned locker rooms, a central breezeway allowing visitors to reach the pool deck without passing through locker rooms, expanded lifeguard and first-aid areas, improved concession space and additional family restrooms.
Outside, the biggest transformation could come where the existing wading pool now sits.
Because the aging wading pool has failed and will be removed, Slapak and Theisen used the community meeting to ask residents what should replace it.
Early concepts include a splash pad, a new wading pool, water slides, a current channel for aquatic fitness and interactive water play features.
Other ideas include shaded seating, hammocks, lawn games, upgraded concessions, inflatable obstacle courses and even movie nights at the pool.
Consultants encouraged residents to help determine which amenities best fit both the communitys priorities and the available budget.
Slapak acknowledged that staffing remains one of the citys biggest hurdles.
We do have struggles with the high school students going back to play sports, and then the college students going back to school, but its also budget-related too, she said. When we add on to the season, of course, with added amenities can be additional revenue too to offset some of those costs, but its definitely something to consider if staff and budget allow.
The city is also surveying residents on whether they would support modest increases to admission or season pass prices if the city rolls additional attractions at the pool into the renovation plan.
We try to stay in line with our peer communities, Slapak said. We do have a survey question that says, if we do add amenities, would you be willing to pay a slight increase in a daily admission or season pass?
Some residents said enhanced amenities could make the added cost worthwhile if families no longer needed to travel elsewhere for a more modern aquatic experience.
My thought is that if a person has access to something that they dont currently have access to without having to drive to either another city or the Dells, obviously youre better off in the long run to just pay to be able to use it here, one attendee said.
Some residents also suggested offering discounted season passes to Janesville residents while charging higher rates for non-residents, an idea Slapak said the city has already heard through its public survey and could consider as planning continues.
Officials pointed to the success of the renovated Palmer Pool as an example of what thoughtful improvements can accomplish. Attendance and revenue have increased significantly, driven by new play features, expanded programming and reservable shaded seating.
The city will continue collecting public feedback through its online survey before designers narrow the list of amenities and develop a final renovation plan.