OPRF Board to Get Pool Update Nov. 21

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 staff will provide an update on their process of determining options for a new swimming pool on campus at the Nov. 21 board meeting. 

D200 initially looked at four sites as potential locations for a new pool, but eliminated the most costly option at the existing east pool/south gym, which also would have created the most disruptions, D200 Chief Financial Officer Tod Altenburg wrote in a report to the board. The east pool option was also eliminated because it would not fit an eight-lane pool, Altenburg said at a Nov. 12 finance committee meeting. 

A team of OPRF stakeholders has met to look at the potential impacts of a new pool built on the parking garage at Lake Street and Scoville Avenue, the baseball field or the existing tennis courts, according to the report.

D200 Superintendent Dr. Steven Isoye told committee members that staff is working with architects to determine the feasibility of each option, which "will take some time," he said. 

The report includes preliminary considerations for each location, including:

Parking garage

• D200 would need to negotiate the purchase of the village-owned garage
• Loss of space during construction (west pool, climbing wall, freshman locker room, alley streets)
• Change in curriculum and scheduling would be needed (significant loss of swimming program)
• Permanent loss of parking space

Baseball field

• Some fields would need to be relocated
• Catwalk needed to connect building and pool (distance will require additional travel time for students/loss of instructional time)
• No change in tennis or PE program

Tennis courts
If the district decides to build the new pool on the existing tennis courts, new courts would be built on top of the new pool building.

• Loss of tennis courts for an extended period, loss of softball fields and some street access during construction
• Some fields would need to be relocated
• No parking to accommodate competitive events
• New courts would likely be smaller (six courts on roof), with no spectator space

The full report is available on the OPRFHS website here.
The board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Oak Park and River Forest High School. 
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