DeKalb Park District forming pool focus group

The DeKalb Park District is inviting area residents to take part in a community focus group to develop concept plans for the replacement of the pool at the Hopkins Park Aquatic Center.

The average lifespan of a pool is 30-40 years, DeKalb Park District Executive Director Cindy Capek said. The Hopkins Pool is 34 years old and a recent review of the facility found a number of issues related to the existing structure, maintenance issues and compliance with a variety of health, plumbing and building codes, according to a news release from the park district.

"Staff in the district have done a good job of keeping it going for 34 years," she said. "It's nearing its life expectancy. If we sunk $5 million into the facility, we could upgrade it, but it would look the same. The piping would be the same."

The district has hired Wheaton-based PHN Architects to develop concept plans for a new aquatics facility, Capek said. They hope to get information to incorporate into those plans during the focus group meetings before settling on a plan and budget, she added.

Capek said the focus groups are meant for everyday users of the pool. She had gone through the pool pass list from last year to find people who frequent the pool often, and plans to send personal invitations for them to attend the focus groups. But she stressed that anyone who has an interest in aquatics can attend.

"It's an opportunity for people to engage in the planning process, which I think is very, very important," she said.

The focus group meetings will be held June 11 and July 9 and participants should be able to attend both meetings. Staff and consultants also plan to be at the pool June 12 to gather feedback from pool patrons, Capek said.
 
"It's hard to bring a 12-year-old into a focus group but you can bring ideas out to the pool deck and say, 'What do you like?'" she noted.

Funding a new pool will be tough, Capek said, noting the district is sensitive to the struggling economy the country is now in. A referendum would most likely be needed for the project, she added, because there would be no internal funding available for it.

"We as a district need to say, 'Here is what the design will look like, will the public support it, and what is the best time to do it?'" she said. "Ideally, it would be great if we could start next summer."

Get Involved

Interested in taking part in a focus group that is asking area residents to provide input on concept plans for the replacement of the pool at Hopkins Park Aquatic Center? Contact the DeKalb Park District's executive director, Cindy Capek, at 815-758-6663, ext. 124.

The focus group meetings will be held from 4-6 p.m. June 11 and July 9 at the district's Administrative Office, 1403 Sycamore Road in DeKalb. Participants must be able to attend both sessions.