Swain children and adults alike were more than ready for the county pool to reopen in 2022 after a renovation that closed the pool for two seasons. But the new additions to the pool itself are far from all that’s planned. Up next is an impressive waterslide that will surely lead to many dares and plenty of thrills for local youth.
The slide will be 223 feet long and include a loop. The first 32 feet of the slide will be fully enclosed and the last 42 will be open flume.
Instead of simply replacing the small slide that previously dropped into the deep end of the pool, this will be a stand-alone feature. It will be behind the current pool, with a walkway that goes up the embankment to the tower. The slide will then follow the hill and feed into a small splash area near the existing creek.
Swain County Manager Kevin King said the idea was suggested by a consultant when the pool renovations began.
“For the kids who don’t get the opportunity to go to splash country or another water park it would introduce them to this kind of water slide,” King said.
The water slide coming from SplashTacular, of Paola, Kansas, has been ordered. Work has begun with soil density tests for the footers that will go in this spring. The slide is scheduled to arrive by June.
“We’re hoping it will be operational by mid-July, but if not, next season,” King said.
The county was awarded a $500,000 grant in Parks and Recreation Fund (PART-F), the maximum award for the new features and upgrades at the pool.
Swain County Tourism and Development Authority then provided an additional $574,000 for the project, with the idea it will benefit both residents and be an additional activity for visitors.
“We are excited about helping to fund the upcoming enhancements to the Swain County Recreation Park. This project will create a unique attraction that will draw new visitors to our destination,” said Mary Anne Shea, Swain TDA director by email. “This initiative further enhances the TDA’s ongoing commitment to support tourism-related projects in Swain County that attracts visitors and also benefits the local community.”
Lazy river planned
The next phase of upgrading the county pool to create a local water attraction will be the installation of a lazy river. King said the county will contract that project out fully. This will also be a standalone feature that resembles a figure 8 but the lines in the center wouldn’t cross. This will be located toward the front of the pool area.
“The building where the current bathrooms are will be gone, and it will go out where there used be a place for beach volleyball,” King explained. “It will go all the way out into that area halfway through the parking lot on the bank side.”
New bathrooms, community rooms
Work has already begun for new offices and restrooms, replacing the very outdated ones at the pool built in the 1970s. County workers recently began demolition in the front office space at the recreation center across the street from the pool where the new recreation department offices will move to. That work is happening quickly with the hope to finish this week.
“The new pool bathrooms will be where the offices are now with a breezeway and two meeting/multipurpose rooms planed for activities like spin classes and space for things like birthday parties,” King said.
Work inside the recreation center is also underway with new insulation and metal wall covering installed. A new HVAC system is in the works. Split units will be installed along the back of the building to heat and cool the building, with those funds needing to be spent by June 30. The county received direct state grants in the 2022 budget for the new HVAC and insulation for the building.
A second phase of upgrades at that building will include revamping a current storage room to still include some space for storage and add another community room.