Park District to Renovate Winrock Park Pool in Montgomery

By the summer of 2013, the Winrock Park pool in Montgomery will be a completely new place.

The Oswegoland Park District board this week authorized borrowing up to $4 million to completely renovate the facility, off of Fernwood Road south of Route 30. The building, outdoor pool and parking lot were constructed in the 1960s, according to Bill McAdam, executive director of the park district.

McAdam said the aluminum pool is showing signs of age, and is beginning to buckle in some places. The district will remove and replace the pool, as well as replacing the parking lot and renovating the building, he said. The project will bring the facility up to code, and make it more accessible to those with disabilities.

The new pool, McAdam said, would be between four and five feet deep, and would include a zero-depth entrance at one end. This, he said, would make it easier for those with disabilities, and allow for small children to stay in shallow water, without needing a separate kiddie pool. 

The Winrock Park pool is rarely open to the public – it’s used mostly for training for the Park District’s swim team, the Otters, and for special events. McAdam said he hopes replacing the pool will allow the district to open it up more frequently.

He also said the plan is to move the Otters meets to Winrock Park entirely, so the Civic Center on Ashlawn Avenue in Montgomery can accommodate more open use from district residents. Currently, the Civic Center closes when swim meets are scheduled, he said.  

McAdam said the engineering and design work would begin soon, with an eye to starting construction “as soon as the last kid is out of the water for the season” this year. He said he would like the new pool and renovated facility to be ready for next spring. 

“We’re excited to be able to reinvest in this old facility,” he said.