The largest public park in the city of Scranton is making a splash, and so are some kids like Per Roussell.
“I love that it’s like, you know, shallow, made for kids, all that stuff, and also I just love it because it’s finally opened. Like I’ve been waiting two years for this thing,” said Roussell.
Those years of waiting are over with the completion of Phase 1 of the restoration project.
Costing roughly $4.6 million, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti says the money for the work came mostly from state and federal funding.
“There was federal, state, and local funding that has gone into all of these different projects. We’re really proud of the partnerships. We’re proud of the great relationship with our vendors, and you see the result, which is a beautiful asset for our kids and adults to enjoy,” said Cognetti.
While the pool is a little smaller than the original one at Nay Aug Park, its new design will help keep patrons safer and keep things more affordable for the city.
“We’ve made sure that we are adding assets to our parks that we can maintain over time. Sustainability is very important to us. We don’t want to be building things out that we can’t maintain,” said Cognetti.
The new pool is one of the recent investments in Nay Aug that also includes an accessible butterfly playground and a new $1 million multi-court complex.
“It’s a safe place to come and enjoy yourself with your family, neighbors, friends, and the community,” said Thomas Gallagher.
“Oh, I’m gonna try out the slide in a little bit, so I’m excited to see how that goes,” said Roussell. Per did try out the slide and gave it a refreshing approval.
Looking ahead to Phase 2 of the project, the city is continuing to raise money for a planned lap pool and detached splash pad.