After raising more than $55,000, the committee now needs to pick a location for the splash pad.
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EVANSTON —There has been a lot of hype about a splash pad being built in Evanston and it appears it is indeed going to happen.
With help from Dustin Matthews, Britany Erickson has turned her dream of a having a splash pad in town into a reality.
“I was looking online one night, thinking there needs to be something for my kids to do in Evanston,” Erickson said. “I had taken them down to a splash pad in Morgan, and that’s when I thought of how we could get one in Evanston.”
After Erickson posted the idea on Facebook two years ago, Matthews contacted her that same night to get involved. Together they have gained a lot of support from the community.
A year ago, the splash pad committee had a fundraiser at Evanston Middle School. It consisted of a spaghetti dinner and a live auction, raising $7,000 for the project.
Since then, they have made more than the minimum budget for the splash pad. Erickson said the fundraisers and donations were a giant help. Costa Vida, Aspen Cinemas and other community businesses have helped, and there are still donations flowing in.
The splash pad kit they plan to order is 45-feet by 45-feet. The location for the splash pad is still under discussion. Initially, they planned to use land at Bear Meadows.
According to Erickson, if they can get around water issues at Bear Meadows their plan is to put portable restrooms there until they can raise enough money to build permanent restrooms.
The city suggested a few other locations for the splash pad, partially because of the restroom issue. One area is Martin Park, which already has restrooms. The other suggestion is near the ballfields, which would make it easy to sell concessions, too, Erickson said.
The committee continues to meet to decide the best and most affordable location. The committee consists of two city council members, two city employees, Erickson and Matthews.
The bid for the splash pad got reduced from $100,000 to $47,500, if the committee can talk local businesses into donating some of the materials. Erickson said they have raised about $55,000.
Erickson said they would like the splash pad to be free to the public. The annual cost to maintain it would be between $12,000 - $13,000. Those expenses include chlorine, water testing and winterizing.
There is currently a fundraising website where anyone can buy a brick and have it personalized and set into the foundation of the splash pad. Visit www.polarengraving.com/evanstonsplashpad for more information.
