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Oak Park leaders debate pool repairs and community center plans as residents raise safety and programming concerns
Summary
Council heard detailed updates that the outdoor pool has cost roughly $368,000 in repairs over five years and that an indoor pool—identified as the top community priority—would cost about $8–10 million as part of a larger community center project. Public commenters raised traffic safety, fencing sightline hazards, mini-golf and rising school truancy concerns.
Oak Park officials at the July 7 meeting spent extended time on the condition of the city’s outdoor pool and plans for a new community center that would include a year-round indoor pool.
City manager Eric Tungate reported that over the last five years the city has spent roughly $368,000 on repairs and supplies to keep the outdoor pool operating. "Grand total amount of money that we have spent for our pool, our outdoor pool, over the last 5 years is right around $368,000," he said, adding that $29,771 had been spent already this year to keep the pool open for the season. Tungate said the pool’s mechanical systems are aging and that climate cycles accelerate infrastructure decay.
Tungate and other staff described the community-driven planning process for the Elevado Park community center, where residents ranked an indoor pool as the top priority. He estimated an indoor pool would cost "somewhere between 8 and 10,000,000" and referred to a broader community-center project figure of about $44,000,000, with roughly $8,000,000 currently projected for the indoor pool portion.
Council members pressed staff about interim options while construction proceeds. Mayor Pro Tem Sean Whitehead suggested exploring agreements with nearby communities to provide temporary pool access at community rates; staff said outreach to several neighboring cities would be possible.
During public comment, Silva Haywood raised a traffic-safety concern about drivers ignoring stop signs at Pearson and Kenosha and asked whether police could monitor the intersection after near-miss incidents. Ken Sherman questioned the recent sequence of pool repair expenditures and warned that continued repairs might amount to "putting bad money into a bad pool." Cheryl Weiss urged the city to better publicize and reuse existing amenities such as the municipal mini-golf and proposed installing donated box-hockey equipment in parks.
City staff said the community center project remains in planning and that a bid-ready cost for elements including an outdoor option will be addressed as part of future procurement and budgeting.
