APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Appleton’s Parks and Recreation Committee has unanimously endorsed a contract with a company tasked with designing and engineering a new swimming pool at Erb Park.
On Monday night, the committee recommended an $879,900 contract with MSA Professional Services. MSA beat out five other proposals studied by the committee.
“What set them apart was their overall passion and their excitement for our project,” Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management Director Dean Gazza said in a news release. “They dotted every “I” and crossed every “T” and we’re comfortable moving forward with them and very confident.”
The contract calls for design and engineering work for a 50-meter swimming pool and redevelopment of park facilities. This recommendation now goes before the full Appleton Common Council on February 3.
A new pool at Erb Park was first discussed back in October, when Mayor Tim Hanna talked about a plant to replace the 36-year-old pool with splash pads.
City leaders say that the pool was leaking water, as much as 20 percent of its volume per day by the end of the summer.
However, the public outcry forced the city to reconsider its plans. The common council in November approved $10.5 million for the new pool as part of the city’s annual budget.
The current pool at Erb Park is set to be demolished later this year, with the goal of opening the new pool in summer of 2017.
