SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Morningside University is taking steps to turn the Lewis Park and pool into a new baseball field. On Tuesday, the community was able to voice their opinions.
According to a press release from the city, Lewis Pool is past its useful life, amounting to expensive replacements and repainting that will be required in the next 5 years.
Of the three pools in Sioux City, attendance at Lewis Pool ranks third.
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Morningside University said it will make an indoor swimming facility available at no additional cost to the city’s park and recreation department for swimming lessons.
At the meeting, the crowd was split between agreeing with the proposal and disagreeing.
Some locals voiced concerns, saying they need an outdoor pool for kids.
“It’s a quality-of-life issue in this day and age of trying to get kids off their cell phones and away from video games. Why would we, as a city, sell our public pool and park for a nominal fee of $350,000 when it would take four to 10 million to build a new pool comparable to Lewis?” said Lori Vanderlinden, a concerned resident.
Morningside President Chad Benson said discussions with locals are important with any proposal, and he appreciates everyone who talked at the stand.
“We think it’s important for them to have a voice. You know, with that being said, we also think there’s an opportunity to utilize our resources and our pool over the course of the summer months, and there’s an opportunity for a win-win,” said Benson.
The Sioux City City Council was present during the discussion. As of now, there is no planned date to finalize the decision.
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