We have been without a pool since 2019. The new Lima Aquatic Center is not set to be complete till 2025; we will be five full years without a pool.
Schoonover was the largest municipal pool in Ohio when it was built and third-largest when closed. We did not maintain the facility; it developed a huge leak.
In 2015, the pool used over 22 million gallons of water (production cost around $60,000). We had a quote to fix the island (apparently where the leak was) for $44,000. Instead of a major repair to the concrete, we did a patch-up and sprayed the area with 1/10th inch of truck bed liner for $11,700. The repair apparently did not fix the problem and or did not properly address the problem.
Schoonover had a stainless-steel liner and a concrete bottom. We had estimated a cost of $241,000 to replace the concrete bottom but chose to not do that. In 2016 (after the patch), water usage was around 6 million gallons, and by 2019 it was over 9 million gallons.
Schoonover never reopened after 2019. Schoonover only operated eight weeks each summer. Income generated the last three years of operation averaged less than $2,500 per week. With an estimate of $650,000 per year expense for the Aquatic Center, or $12,500 per week, it will be interesting.
The fault, if you will, belongs to the previous administration. Our current mayor just got what was handed to her, one of many inherited problems.
I look forward to the new facility but lament that we refused to maintain the old pool.
David O. Smith
Lima
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