It wasn’t by much, but the Norridge Park District got the answer it hoped for in Tuesday’s primary. Voters narrowly approved a referendum that allows the park district to replace its 61-year-old pool and make other capital improvements in the surrounding park.
The referendum, which passed by 116 votes, gives the park district authority to borrow $6.3 million to pay for a new swimming complex and upgrade athletic fields, parking infrastructure and other facilities.
“It’s not just the pool, this money is going to be able to help us improve the whole park,” said Norridge Park District President James T. Miller. “We can fix the tennis courts and basketball courts. We can change the parking lots. We can move the concession stands and have the six baseball fields surrounding it. This means a lot for the community, and in the future, we’re going to be able to do a lot more for them.”
“We’re very excited that the residents decided to move forward with the referendum,” said Annemarie Flaherty, executive director of the Norridge Park District. “This gives us a chance to start fresh and create a new design that gets our pool up to current standards.”
In Tuesday’s primary, 52.7 percent of Norridge residents who participated in the election voted in favor of the bond, or 1,116 people. The election featured a turnout of just over 20 percent of eligible voters.
“It wasn’t a huge turnout, but this time it went our way,” Miller said.
A similar referendum was on the ballot in April 2021, but it failed by about 200 votes. With the bond issue passing this year, the park district can move forward with its timeline to install the new pool by the summer of 2024.
According to Flaherty, the first step will be selecting an architectural firm and finalizing the new pool’s design by the end of the summer or early fall. Construction bids will follow, with the goal of having the contractors in place by the spring of 2023. The old pool will remain in operation for most of the 2023 swimming season.
“We’re expecting to close the pool a few weeks early in August rather than go all the way to Labor Day so we can start with construction,” Flaherty said. “But hopefully we’ll be able to have the pool open for the majority of the summer next year.”
Construction will begin immediately after the old pool is closed in 2023. “We want to have it all finished by June 2024, so we’re not missing any of the swimming season,” she said.
The new pool will be larger with more contemporary features, such as easier entry points. It will also be compliant with current ADA standards.
“More people will be able to use the pool,” Miller said. “Older people and others who can’t use ladders aren’t able to use the pool safely. The new pool will give a lot more people access.”
“It will be the proper size for swim meets,” Flaherty said. “We’ll also be able to do a lot more programming with a modern pool.”
For Norridge residents, the passage of the bond does mean higher taxes. The owner of a $300,000 home in Norridge— the median home value in the city — will see an increase of about $50 a year for the next 20 years.
For Miller, who has been involved with the Norridge Park District since 1988, it was a necessary choice to make to ensure that the park continues to serve its constituency.
“It’s going to be so much better,” he said. “We’ll have cleaner water, a better environment for everyone, and a safe pool that’s more accessible. The kids are going to have so much more fun. I think this just makes sense for everyone in the community.”
“We are very excited and grateful for the community for getting out the vote and expressing their interest in making this happen,” Flaherty said. “We look forward to working with them as we make decisions and create a new pool that will serve the community for years to come.”
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