CITY OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — For several years, Kohler Pool in the City of Tonawanda has been in desperate need of major repairs. Now, members of the community are joining together in hopes of securing a permanent fix.
It's a fun place to be all summer long, especially for the dozens of kids who visit daily, but below the surface, it has been a problem for the City of Tonawanda for years.
WATCH: 'Everything needs to be redone': City of Tonawanda rallying to save Kohler Pool
Q: “What has gone into keeping the pool open the last couple of years?
Mayor John White: “Big Band-Aids, lots of Band-Aids….Everything needs to be redone.”
White told me the problems with the pool include:
- 3 inches of water leaking out of the pool daily
- Cracking and sunken sidewalks
- Pumps in need of replacement
- Pipes rapidly rust out during the chlorination process
- The exterior fence is falling apart
- The platform attached to the waterslide is rusting out
According to a feasibility study by Brandstetter Carroll Inc., the cost to repair everything sits right around $2.5 million, or the cost to completely replace the pool is $3.5 million.
“I do think it’s worth it,” Tom Joice said. “I think it’s a good investment. It’s something special this community has enjoyed for generations, and it’s something we need to keep flourishing.”
The community agrees with that thought.
Out of the 580 people surveyed by Brandstetter Carroll Inc., 75% of people voted to completely replace the pool, rather than repair or eliminate it.
Furthermore, 65% of respondents said they would even support a tax levy to fund the replacement.
That’s where Amanda Shepler comes in, offering her services to the city to raise the pool-saving funds.
“That’s my job, I’m a fundraiser and a grant writer," Shepler said. "$4 million is not an unachievable number.”
On July 18, Shepler is hosting a Save Kohler Pool Party in hopes of raising donations and securing grant funding.
“We want Tonawanda to show up, and anybody else who likes to use our pool, so they can see the crowds this pool is important to," Shepler said.
