Lorelei Cox is a huge fan of the Washington Park Pool.
"It's a big part of our community," she said. "So many people have great memories there hanging out, taking learn to swim classes, going to swim meets ..."
Cox worked at the pool for about 20 years, including a stint as assistant manager. She also worked in concessions and as a lifeguard, among other jobs.
So she has an emotional tie to it.
Those emotions contradict with her job as president of the Washington Park District Board.
The board is facing a monumental decision about the future of the aging pool, located on the north side of Westgate Road at the intersection of Westgate and Stratford Drive in the Devonshire Estates subdivision.
An engineering evaluation of the pool done this summer by the Peoria-based Farnsworth Group at the request of the board returned some troubling conclusions and staggering numbers.
Needed repairs will cost an estimated $2.9 to $3.35 million. A new pool will cost between $5.5 and $6.3 million.
Brian Tibbs, the park district's executive director, said those costs are shocking, and beyond the park district's means.
"We don't have that kind of money in our budget," he said. "We'd need to get some additional funding.
"You have to remember the park district gets only a small portion of a park district resident's property tax bill. The park district accounted for a little more than 4% of my tax bill in 2023. The Central School District, Washington Community High School and Illinois Central College combined for 72%."
Tibbs said the park district has done all it can for several years to keep the pool operating.
"We've done our best to keep the pool going at a high level," he said. "We do all we can to get through each year. One problem is the pool isn't open eight months a year. That's terrible on its mechanical systems.
"We need to make some decisions about the pool, so we hired an independent expert (Farnsworth) to see what renovations are needed or if we need to build a new pool."
So what's next?
"We're going to take the temperature of the community, see if there is community support for doing something," Cox said. "I think there's a better chance of selling the repair option."
No timeline has been set for a board decision, but the window of opportunity is closing.
"We need to decide what we're going to do in a year or two," Tibbs said.
Cox agrees.
"I suppose we can limp along for a season or maybe two," she said. "I love the pool, but I'm also practical. It would be sad if we lost the pool, but if we can't save it, we can't save it."
The park district bought the former Neptune Swim Club pool in 1972, a dozen years after the pool was constructed, after voters passed a $260,000 referendum in a special election 472-337.
Several renovations have been done since the park district takeover of the pool. The last one was a major project that was completed in 2006. Funding came from a $400,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The project included the demolition of the original Neptune Swim Club bathhouse and tot pools and the construction of a new bathhouse, sun deck and interactive children's play pool.
The Washington Park Pool is actually three pools: competition, children's play and wading.
