The Timbers of Eureka outdoor pool area got a facelift before opening for the season.
Parks and Recreation Department director Kristen Christenson said staff members have spent this week putting the final touches around the pool. She said new picnic tables, chairs and lounge chairs are being added to the pool deck.
Christenson said during the spring, islands that held trees and other plants were removed to increase the pool deck’s space, the pool was resurfaced and play features were updated.
A grand opening celebration is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the pool. The Timbers is at 1 Coffey Park Lane.
“It was time to give the pool a little bit of a facelift,” Christenson said of the near 11-year-old pool.
The city paid Bombshell Construction Services of Wildwood to oversee the work.
Eureka’s 2023-2024 budget shows the city planned to spend $128,000 on the pool improvements. The city’s fiscal year runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30.
The pool resurfacing was expected to cost $100,000, the cost to restore the water slide was anticipated to cost $20,000 and $8,000 was budgeted to spend on pool furniture. City officials did not have the final costs for the work on Tuesday.
The pool resurfacing and slide restoration improvements are funded through the city’s 1/2-cent Storm Water/Parks sales tax, according to the city budget. The tax is used for operating the city’s parks, capital improvement projects and stormwater control projects.
Christenson said the largest parts of the project, the pool and slide resurfacing, are necessary improvements.
“Every so often you have to have the surfacing redone,” she said. “With Eureka water, calcium and everything has really built up on (the slide).”
The most visible improvement to the pool is the new deck around the concession stand area. Christenson said crews took out concrete islands to make more space on the deck and allow for more seating to be set up.
“There are always complaints that there’s not enough room, not enough chairs, so we’re really trying to utilize the deck as best as we can,” Christenson said.
The play feature in the pool also has been renovated. Christenson said years of wear and tear necessitated the replacement of netting around the play feature, along with its decking. Crews also repainted the feature, she said.
The pool has a lazy river and a lap pool with a diving board that was not included in the project.
The grand opening celebration will include music, free popsicles and activities, according to the city’s website. The first 150 people to visit the concession stand during the event will receive a free hot dog.
The pool will be open from noon to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays; noon to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays from May 25 through Aug. 11.
From Aug. 12 through Sept. 2, the pool is closed Mondays through Fridays. It will be open from noon to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays during that time.
The final time the pool will be open this year is from noon to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2.
Admission to the pool is included with a Timbers membership. Admission for non-members ranges from $5 to $9 per day depending on the swimmer’s age and if they live in Eureka.
For more information, go to the city’s website, eureka.mo.us.
For information about becoming a Timber’s member, email recreation supervisor Crista Stover at cstover@eureka.mo.us or visit the Timbers front desk.