Park District Breaks Ground on Super Splash Park

A water park is coming to Carbondale!  The Carbondale Park District ceremonially broke ground Friday on the Super Splash Park Outdoor Aquatic Center.
The project has been in the works for about 10 years. Executive Director of the Carbondale Park District Kathy Renfro says she's happy to see everything finally come together: "I kinda feel like I'm just floating today. We've hoped and prayed we'd get here and suddenly here we are."
 
Renfro says the plan was sparked by the Nonviolent Carbondale Study Circles a decade ago. She says the group's research showed that a pool would lower violence and crime. President of the Carbondale Park District Harvey Welch says he believes the park will bring the community together: "This means that Carbondale is coming into modern times. Carbondale is stepping out of its divisive environment and it is becoming a community of diverse people. No more of this, this is for black, this is for whites. This is for the community of Carbondale."
 
Renfro says the features of the park have not been finalized. She says the design begins next week, and the park is set to open by May of 2015. The district has received a federal grant of 2.5 million dollars and raised about 600 hundred thousand. She says the park district still needs 300 thousand dollars to fund the park. Renfro says they hope to raise the money by the end of the year.