Clinton pool, splash pad nearing completion
‘No firm date’ on pool opening
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A worker from Delgado Pool Plaster pressure washes the walls of the new pool at Jaycee Park as plaster work continues. - Tony Cox
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The newly constructed pool will have an entry without stairs for all-inclusive access to the swimming area. - Tony Cox
As summer heats up, the renovated pool and new splash pad at Cinton’s Jaycee Park are still not ready.
Taylor Cullison, the city’s special-event manager, said the original plan was to open the pool in late May.
But due to 20 days of rain, the city has “no firm date” on when to open, nor any firm plans for a grand opening event, she said.
She also said supply-chain issues slowed the project down as well. The city broke ground in spring 2023 after starting the grant process in 2020.
The pool, in Jaycee Park off Nave Street, has been closed since the end of the 2019 season. It did not re-open in 2020 due to a combination of leaks discovered in the 2019 summer and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our hope is that the combination of a pool and splashpad will make this space feel like a small waterpark, making it more attractive for families to use,” Cullison said, adding that full concessions will be available for patrons.
The renovations will include a new splash pad. Cullison said it will be larger in area than the existing one at Lakefront Park, and have larger features.
The new pool will be a zero-entry pool, meaning people can access it without stairs. It will not include a diving board, like the old one. Cullison said the pool will be saltwater rather than chlorinated.
Cullison said the attendance of the old pool dropped from 350 per day when first opened, to about 60 per day during the last year the pool was open. She said the pool was 40 years old, and was losing 10,000 gallons of water a week.
“We are hoping the combination of the pool and splashpad will draw more families to use our facility,” she said.
The city plans to use a state of Tennessee Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant in addition to city funds. The total cost will be $1,850,000.
In the meantime, the existing Lakefront Splash Pad is officially open for the season. Splash pad hours for operation are Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 8:30 pm. at Lakefront Park in Clinton, 110 Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
