A water play area is expected to open at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park in Festus in spring or summer 2025.
The water play area, sometimes called a splash pad, will be built next to the ballfields on the south side of Old Hwy. A near the city’s Animal Control facility.
The Festus City Council allocated $1.5 million as part of its 2024 fiscal year budget to fund construction of the water play area, as well as an all-inclusive playground, which also will be built on the south side of Crites Park. Details about the playground have not yet been announced.
“The splash pad is slated to (cost) $818,916, providing no change orders or big issues pop up during construction, which leaves approximately $681,000 for the playground,” said Barb Lowry, the Festus recreation and tourism director.
She said the water play area will be called “Turtle Cove at Crites Park” and will offer features that look like turtles.
“Josh Whaley (Festus parks director) suggested the turtle theme,” Lowry said. “Because we’re in Missouri, we didn’t want palm trees or a beach theme.”
She said the water play area, while obviously targeted at children, will be open to all park visitors.
“It’s for anyone,” Lowry said. “We believe it’s going to attract a lot of people to Festus.”
City Administrator Greg Camp said staff requested proposals for the project and chose to buy the Landscape Structures equipment from the NuToys dealer/distributor and to hire Capri Pools to install the equipment.
“It’s a design-build project,” he said.
Camp said the final design and contracts will be presented to the City Council at some point in the coming weeks.
Lowry said the water play area will include a variety of features, all either spewing water or dumping water to splash on the revelers.
People may trace the progress of the water play area, as well as other municipal projects, by visiting festusmo.gov and clicking on Projects.