The second phase of the township park project will include a splash park and hospitality building. Since the first phase wrapped up toward the end of 2009, community response has been encouraging to township officials.

"Even the people who didn't like the idea of a park now like it," said Downtown Development Authority chair Mark Thompson. "Some residents were worried about how often a park would be used, but, before we finished phase one, we were already seeing it. I saw kids in the winter playing there."

Andy Sowinski, project manager for Partners in Architecture, said the water park will appeal to three different age group - toddlers, grade-school age, and teens.

"There will be one splash pad, but it will be divided into different areas with fixtures and features that lend themselves to the three age groups," he said.

The water volume in the high buckets that fill up and splash on teenagers is not for toddlers, he said, but a low-volume fountain with a single spout would be ideal for a 3-year-old. Fountains, rainbow arches, a serpentine fixture like a snake or sea monster spraying water out of its mouth are all created to provide hours of fun.

Splash parks are becoming a growing industry.

"A lot of areas where there is not a pool available, we're seeing more and more going in," said Sowinski. "There are close to 30-40 in southeast Michigan. They are significant investments for any community to provide a safer environment while providing the cooling aspect in the summer."

The board awarded the bid March 30 to Cortis Brothers Excavating of Marine City, which did most of the work on phase one. Cortis Brothers was the only company which bid all the proposals of the project and was the lowest bidder.

The base proposal for the water park is $304,800; the hospitality building is $117,500. The hospitality building will house men's and women's restrooms and an office, as well as act as a storage facility for the filtration system, water pumps and controls for the park. The DDA has put in about $300,000 toward the project. The township will kick in funds it receives from the St. Clair County Parks and Recreation.

The splash park will be using re-circulated municipal water, much like the filtered water in a pool. Sowinski said it is more expensive on the front end of the project, but the least costly over the long term.

The target date for completion is July 2, just in time for Fourth of July festivities. Sowinski said the water park is viewed as a pool in Michigan, so plans have to be sent to the MDNRE for approval. Construction will be at the center area of the park, adjacent to the playground. Fencing will be put up, with a pathway for construction equipment to move on and off the site, but the remainder of the park will remain open for public use during the construction.
By Jeri Packer, Voice Staff Writer