MAKING A SPLASH

The Ave Maria Water Park celebrated its grand reopening after an eight-week renovation period that beautified, resurfaced and added features to the community’s resort-style recreational facility on March 16. “This was a huge project. Our park is 16 years old; it was time to give it a facelift, and it is absolutely beautiful,” exalted Operations Director Kellie Powell, who oversaw the entire process alongside Aquatic Facilities Operator Lionel Chester. Every corner of the park received some tender loving care. Here’s a deep dive into all the improvements:

Fitness Pool

Filled with 297,000 gallons of water, the expansive fitness pool has distinct areas that cater to different forms of recreation, including a four-lane lap pool; an in-water volleyball court; a zero-deck entry for young families; and a spacious swimming area for people to hang out and chat in small groups. Two feet above the surface of the fitness pool, there is a luxurious spa and cascading waterfall that create a resort-style ambiance.

After draining the fitness pool and spa, the surfaces were ground down, resurfaced and repainted white by Naples-based contractor Finishing by Baker. They retiled the water lines with cobalt blue tiles in the recreational area and spa, and with black tiles along the lap lanes. New stainless-steel ladders and handrails were installed, 18 underwater lights were replaced with LED bulbs, the jets in the spa were repaired, and a new, in-water basketball hoop was added. Upgraded landscaping, as well as new umbrellas, tables and chairs, provide added shade and comfort.

“We also installed backstroke flags for patrons that like to swim laps on their back,” Powell explains. “When they see the flags, they’ll know that the wall is coming, so they won’t hit their heads.”

Activity Pool

With 99,000 gallons of water, the activity pool includes a two-inch to two-foot-deep children’s play area equipped with a rope bridge; steps that lead to a green, spiral slide and two small red slides; and an oversized red bucket which dumps water every 30 seconds onto a roof, splashing droplets on jubilant little ones. Beyond the shallow play area is a four-foot-deep catch pool at the base of two towering yellow and blue slides that anyone who is over 48 inches tall can enjoy. A wet deck near the kids’ pool offers another opportunity to have fun, as jets of water shoot up out of the ground.

Residents convene at the water exercise classes, held on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m., to engage in invigorating aquatic workouts and foster community wellness. SANDRA YEYATI/ AVE MARIA SUN

The activity pool was completely refurbished. All surfaces, slides and other apparatuses were treated for rust, deep-cleaned and repainted. The kids’ area has a brand-new rope bridge. Safe Slide Restoration, which repaired and restored the park’s multiple slides, has serviced some of the largest water parks in North America. A steelworker crew worked on the tower leading up to the big slides, making sure they were all in tip-top shape. For weeks, a crew from Infinite Aqua worked on getting the wet deck up and running.

SANDRA YEYATI/ AVE MARIA SUN

An Invitation

“I hope people will come out and experience what this place is all about,” Powell said. “It’s an absolutely beautiful facility and a great place to socialize. You don’t have to come here and swim. You can read a book; you can grab one of the tables and a group of your friends and play cards or eat food from CJ’s Pastelillos and have an enjoyable day outside. The pools are heated from December through April and chilled during the hot summer months, and this is a very inexpensive water park for Ave Maria residents and their guests. Most water parks cost between $15 to $25 per person to get in, so this is a great deal and community service.”

The park offers water exercise classes Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and a progressive swim team for kids looking for a swim-team experience. During spring break in April, Powell will teach an American Red Cross water safety instructor course for individuals to learn how to teach swim lessons. “If there are any college students that want a part-time job during the summer, or even retired adults who want to teach swim lessons part-time, we have an abundance of children that are in need of swim lessons, and this course is available to anybody that lives in Ave Maria,” she explains.

The Ave Maria Water Park is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per resident and $7 per guest, Monday through Friday; $7 per resident and $9 per guest on weekends. Kids aged 2 and under are free, and if they are under 48 inches tall, they are only $5.

Splashing fun is the perfect cool-off for young residents. AVE MARIA DEVELOPMENT

The post MAKING A SPLASH first appeared on Ave Maria Sun .