AKRON, Ohio – Children from the Joy Park Community Center in East Akron beamed from ear to ear Monday morning as they dug shovels into the ground, helping city leaders break ground on Akron’s first public water-spray park.

The 1,600-square-foot splash pad at Joy Park Community Center is set to open in August, Mayor Dan Horrigan said at Monday’s groundbreaking.

The city is in the process of bidding to build a second splash pad next spring at Patterson Park in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood. Horrigan said he wants to eventually build splash pads in each of Akron’s 10 wards.

Akron surveyed residents last year about the Akron Recreation Bureau and its offerings. About 3,100 residents across 1,500 households completed a survey.

“Through that survey, we heard very loud and clear that our residents love our pools and desperately want more water amenities,” Horrigan said. “Akron is one of the few larger communities in this region without a public splash pad or spray park.”

Akron has outdoor public pools at Reservoir Park in Goodyear Heights and Perkins Park in West Akron.

“This splash pad represents our first step in a new era for investment in city of Akron recreation,” Horrigan said.

The Joy Park splash pad is being constructed by Daniel A. Terreri & Sons Inc. It will have eight jets, sprinklers and bubblers, and will be ADA-accessible.

“All children of all abilities will be able to enjoy what we build behind me,” said James Hardy, deputy mayor and chief of staff.

Each of the eight sprays will be push-button activated and time-controlled, so the “water will run as long as you’re using it,” Hardy said.

Hardy said splash pads use less water than traditional municipal pools.

“A typical public swimming pool uses about 1,000 gallons per minute to keep it filled,” Hardy said. “We’re going to use about 89.5 gallons [per minute] at the spray park, so we’re going to be water- and eco-friendly.”

Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Samples, who grew up in the neighborhood, spoke about the importance of bringing a new water amenity to East Akron.

“There used to be a [portable] swimming pool that would come here every summer for us to swim in, and then it would go away. And then it never came back,” Samples said. “So this right here is just everything, not just for this city, but for this community and the ward.”

Horrigan said investing in recreation is a way that the city invests in safety, especially for children.

“Parks and recreation offerings reduce crime, improve property values and strengthen the connections among all of our neighbors,” the mayor said. “Our children deserve safe, clean places to play, learn and grow, close to home.”

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