Residents of Jacksonville looking to cool off from the current heatwave will have to look outside the city or for other options right now.
The Jacksonville Nichols Park Pool remains closed for the start of the summer. The pool closed in 2022 to begin a $1.7 million renovation project that remains under construction. The renovation includes a new gutter system, an updated bath house that includes a family-friendly section, and zero-depth entry into the pool.
Trotter Construction of Macomb was awarded the bid in July 2023 for the initial work on the pool. The $1.7 million project was pared down from initial versions of the rehabilitation after initial bids came in higher than the Jacksonville City Council anticipated.
Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard said in February that the work was being pushed to be completed by June 1st to open the pool. Ezard said on AM1180 WLDS’s “What’s On Your Mind” program on Friday that the project has been hit by multiple delays and now it’s hard to say when it will open: “You have those good weeks and those bad weeks. This week has been on the down side because we’ve gotten some bad news. The pool is moving along, but not moving along at the pace we want it to. For me to put a timeline on it, that really sets everything up. I hate doing that.”
Ezard says he hopes the public can be understanding and patient as the continued workforce decline has hit the local construction industry: “I can’t really blame the weather. I’m not really trying to make excuses. It is what it is. I hope people understand. We certainly can’t open it early, because the city would incur a lot of liability if things aren’t up to snuff. Then, we get in trouble. We want it to be safe for everyone. We look forward to that day it does get open. Hopefully it will be this summer.”