Renovated pool ready for big summer season

When Du Quoin’s municipal pool opens up this coming May, it will come with the expectation of at least 10-15 more years of useful life.
Renovations are complete at the pool, 640 W. Park St., except for steps that will be added to make the pool accessible to people with disabilities, park board President Joe Stephens said Tuesday.
The pool, Du Quoin’s only outdoor pool, needed to be repaired after workers discovered leaks were costing the city about $10,000 in lost water.
Cracks in the foundation were filled and a new vinyl covering was installed, all by an Indianapolis company called RenoSys. New vinyl lining was also put into the children’s pool, and a 3-foot strip of skidproof material was installed around the perimeter of the big pool. At the children’s pool, both inside and outside of the pool is now nonslip.
The cost of the project was about $125,000, Stephens said, none of it taxpayer money.
A significant amount of $125,000 came from money that Du Quoin Unit District 300 has been repaying the city each year. These repayments are because the city fronted money to the school district when it built the new Du Quoin high school in 2013.
Another $65,000 to $70,000 was raised from private donations, according to Mayor Guy Alongi.
The repair is guaranteed 10 years structurally, Stephens said. But it could last longer — at Dixon Springs State Park this same liner was installed more than 15 years ago and it’s still going strong, Stephens said.
“I’m so proud of everyone associated with this,” Stephens said. “Guy Alongi is a whiz when it comes to finances, he’s not a tax and spend guy. He told me, ‘If we do this right, the people of this city will get behind it,’ and by golly, he was right.
“The beauty of this is people coming together to do a good thing for the kids.”
Stephens said the pool house needs some minor repairs, but for a pool opened in the late 1970s, it’s in excellent shape.
“Considering its age, it has served the city well,” he added.