City officials still hopeful of having splash pad ready for Memorial Day

Yahoo

15-05-2025

bluefield — With the long Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, many area families will be looking for outdoor activities to enjoy.
Some of those outdoor attractions can be found at Bluefield's Lotito Park, including the Ridge Runner, the new 40-yard dash, the city's new playground and the new splash pad.
However, there is still a question as to whether or not the splash pad will be ready in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Rick Showalter, director of parks and recreation for the city, said officials would still like to see the splash pad open by Memorial Day weekend. But there is still work to be finished between now and then.
'Our goal was that and still is to open on Memorial Day weekend,' Showalter said Tuesday while providing a project update to members of the Bluefield Board of Directors. 'However, we've had some setbacks. I'm sure that (the opening) is going to happen and we will announce in the future what that date will be.'
Showalter said there is still some work to be done, including the installation of a perimeter fence around the splash pad. That work is expected to begin next week. Showalter said training also is underway for staff.
'We are presently interviewing for staff to run the concessions and ticket sales for the summer,' Showalter said. 'We plan a ribbon cutting in the future, a grand ribbon cutting, and that will be announced based on when we know exactly when we can do that.'
A generator is currently being used by the city to provide temporary power until work on a transformer can be completed, Curtis French, director of public works for the city, told the board Tuesday.
The new splash pad was made possible with funding support from the Shott Foundation along with grant funding from the West Virginia Land and Water Conservation Agency, according to Showalter.
The city's original plan was to have the splash pad and the Ridge Runner operational by Memorial Day weekend at the park. One week later, or on Friday, May 31, the James H. Drew carnival also will open at city park as the 2025 edition of the Cole Chevy Mountain Festival gets underway.
The Cole Chevy Mountain Festival will continue for 10 days through Sunday, June 8.
One new addition that won't be ready for Memorial Day weekend, or this summer, is the new multi-purpose building, which is planned adjacent to the splash pad. It will serve multiple functions, including as a concession area where snacks can be purchased and as a designated location for a splash pad attendant.
The new facility also would include four new restroom facilities that would also serve as changing room areas for those who utilize the new splash pad.
Work on the multi-purpose facility won't begin until the fall with a goal of having it open for the 2026 season.
According to a legal advertisement that appeared recently in the Daily Telegraph, the city is seeking requests for proposals from qualified manufacturing firms to construct the new multi-purpose building. All proposals for the project are due back at city hall by 4 p.m. on June 12. The bids would then be opened on June 13.
According to the request for proposals, the building will serve multiple functions, including housing four restrooms, (that will also function as changing rooms for those who use the splash pad), a concession area for snacks, and a designated space for the splash pad gate attendant. The facility will be located at the newly constructed splash pad and would be operational primarily during the splash pad season.
Work on the new multi-purpose facility would begin in the fall after the park attractions are closed for the season. That way construction won't be occurring in the area while children enjoy the splash pad, Showalter said in an earlier interview.
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