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| By Michelle Symington Staff Writer WEST SPRINGFIELD West Springfield was chosen by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) to receive one of 27 grants totaling $9,544,085 under the office's Urban Self Help Program. The program, which was created in 1977, assists communities in acquiring and developing land for recreation. According to the EOEA, cities or towns with an authorized park and recreation commission and conservation commission regardless of size or a city or town with a population of 35,000 or more year-round residents are eligible for funding through the program. West Springfield received a $500,000 grant, which will be used to rehabilitate the Memorial Pool complex. According to the EOEA, the project will include rebuilding the current pool with new drains and sub-drains as well as improved access for residents with disabilities. The renovations also include the replacement of the current wading pool with a splash pad that includes interactive water features. Domenic Longo, director of the West Springfield Park and Recreation Department, the Memorial Pool and Bathhouse closed last summer due to a variety of problems. He explained that the building, which is 60 years old, had deteriorated to the point where it had rotted ceilings and rotted wood. The toilets in the facility were the original fixtures and would continually become plugged, he added. The pool itself is 40 years old, according to Longo. "The concrete on the bottom is cracked and we were losing three inches of water a day," he said. Longo explained that the project to rehabilitate the Memorial Pool Complex is already underway and the city is in the process of preliminary design. He expects the project to cost about $879,000, which the city had already appropriated for the project. Longo said that the $500,000 will help defray some of the cost and will be a reimbursement to the city for the money spent on the project. Longo said that the project is important to the city because it is the main swimming pool for residents in the summer. "It is a prime recreational facility," he said. "Not everyone has a pool in their backyard or access to a swimming pool. It is a quality of life issue that makes the community more desirable to be a part of." In addition to the Memorial Pool Complex, the city has a water/spray park on Main Street and an indoor pool in the high school. Longo said that city officials are working on a timeline for the project with the architects. |