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New Heritage Port Splash Pad Set To Open, City Pools Set To Close

WHEELING - Delays have put the construction of the new splash pad at Heritage Port significantly behind schedule, but the new seasonal attraction is expected to open before summer is over.

During Monday night’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, Assistant City Manager Bill Lanham reported that the construction of the splash pad outside of WesBanco Arena on the southern end of Heritage Port has been wrapping up.

"We’re nearing the testing phases and the training phases of the splash pad," Lanham said. "So hopefully in the next week and a half, we’ll be able to open and dedicate that splash pad in front of WesBanco Arena."

Originally, the new splash pad was expected to open around Memorial Day weekend and be available to the public all summer this year. Last month, city leaders explained that supply chain issues contributed to the delays in construction, as did the complex underground labyrinth of utility lines outside of the arena that were not always in the precise location as they were on blueprints of the site.

City officials had also asked the contractor to temporarily halt construction during some of the bigger events that typically draw large crowds to Heritage Port.

The city used federal pandemic relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to design and complete the new splash pad. Savage Construction was awarded a $348,500 contract with the city last year to construct the "sprayground" at Heritage Port, which was designed by CT Consultants. The contract was awarded last year, and construction began in April.

While students will soon be headed back to school and Labor Day is four weeks away, summer technically continues through Sept. 21, according to the calendar. City leaders indicated that the training sessions on how to operate the new splash pad’s lighting and water features will include instruction on how the attraction can be turned on and off whenever it is deemed appropriate.

Although the splash pad will soon be opening for the rest of the summer, most of the city pools will soon be closing for the season.

"South Wheeling and Wheeling Island pools will be closing this Sunday, Aug. 11," Lanham reported. "Warwood Pool is already closed. Grandview Pool will end its regular hours on Sunday, Aug. 11, but then they will be open on Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m., Saturdays from 12-6 p.m. and Sundays from 12-6 p.m. until Sept. 1."

Ward 1 Councilman Tony Assaro noted that he had been informed that the Warwood Pool was temporarily closed because of a bad pump. Lanham noted that this was the case, but because of the time it would take to get the necessary parts, perform the repair work and refill the water, the city is simply keeping the pool closed until next year.

Monday’s meeting was the third for the new council which took office at the beginning of July. It was the second meeting for Magruder since taking office as Wheeling’s new mayor, as he was unable to attend the previous regular council meeting last month.

"Some of you know that my wife and I suffered some medical issues during the month of July," Magruder said. "I’m proud to say that we’re both heavily on the mend. But I want to thank you all for all of the thoughts and prayers that have come our way."

The mayor encouraged Wheeling residents who are interested in volunteering their time to serve on city panels to do so.

"We’re going to be doing work on boards and commissions over the next several weeks," Magruder said. "I just want to make sure that all citizens understand - if they have an interest in serving on boards and commissions in the city, please take a look at the website and perhaps send resumes and letters of interest to the city clerk. Because we just really want to include as many citizens as we can to have some selection possibilities here."

Wheeling City Council held their regular meeting on Monday this week in order to allow officials to travel to Huntington to attend the West Virginia Municipal League’s annual conference, which kicks off today. Wheeling Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday nights of each month, beginning at 5:30 p.m.