Two Pools To Reopen In Parma, Splash Pad To Be Built

Parma Mayor Timothy J. DeGeeter has announced that two city pools will open this summer, and that a proposal to build a new splash pad in Anthony Zielinski Park – a project spurred on through an anonymous $225,000 donation – is expected to become a reality by spring 2017.

“We’ve been working on this project for a few months, and I’m excited we’re finally able to announce what would be a great, family-friendly addition to the recreational opportunities we already have here in Parma,” DeGeeter said. “I can’t express enough the gratitude and appreciation I have for the incredibly generous and community-minded gesture on the part of the anonymous donor who has helped to make this proposed plan possible.”

Said DeGeeter: “The timing of this donation couldn’t have been better. This is the time of year when giving is such a critical part of what the holiday season is all about – and this donation certainly represents and is an example of that spirit.”

Parma City Council is expected to vote to accept the anonymous donation.

The plan calls for the new splash pad to open in the spring of 2017. The water playground essentially would replace Ridgewood Pool – which could not be re-opened because of the major cost involved in significantly overhauling a facility that has become dilapidated with age.

Meanwhile, Parma’s other two pools – at James Day and Walters Grove parks – will re-open for the 2016 summer season, DeGeeter said.

The concept for the new splash pad contemplates a zero-depth water playground with interactive and interchangeable water features that will provide great family experiences. The splash pad, surrounded by decorative fencing and landscaping, would be fully handicap-accessible and free for the public.

Between now and the anticipated opening of the water playground, the city would design and prepare the site, turning the splash pad into a reality. The anonymous donation of $225,000 is expected to cover the cost of designing and constructing the splash pad.

The family name of the anonymous donor – whose gift is in memory of the donor’s mother and father – is expected to be released when the proposed splash pad is dedicated.

Beyond the recreational opportunities it would provide residents, the water playground fits into Parma’s town center concept of the surrounding area – recently named the Crossroads of Parma by the mayor’s Town Center Task Force.

The area includes The Shoppes at Parma, UH Parma Medical Center, Ridgewood Golf Course, Anthony Zielinski Park, Stearns Homestead, and the Day Drive corridor.

“The plan for the new water playground is yet another way to build upon the foundational pieces already in place to make the Crossroads of Parma a destination and true town center,” DeGeeter said.