(KIWA Staff Photo)
Newell, Iowa (RI) — Facing a multi-million dollar price tag to replace its public swimming pool, the city of Newell is aiming to build a different kind of water feature — a constructed swimming pond modeled after one recently built in Wisconsin.
A delegation from Newell — population about 900 — will meet later this month with the company that built the Wisconsin facility. Mayor Justin Lyman says the design is far from a traditional farm pond.
Newell’s concrete pool, built in 1956, has been closed since the summer of 2023 due to safety issues. Replacing it was estimated at $3.8 million. The constructed-pond alternative is expected to cost around $500,000.
Lyman says the feature will include clear water, a sand beach, decorative rock, aeration, and large inflatables — and will be branded as the Newell Waterpark.
He says younger children will be able to dig in the sand, while older kids can swim and play on the inflatables.
The Newell Pool Project Committee, formed after the pool closed, has already raised about half the money needed. Lyman says fundraising is progressing quickly enough that construction could begin next spring, with the Newell Waterpark opening next summer.
Demolition of the old pool and bathhouse will begin in August, and the new waterpark will be built on that same site.
