Rockford Sun

City of Loves Park issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.

Sand Park Pool, in Loves Park, has been closed for two summer seasons and was expected to remain closed in 2020 due to the Rockford Park District’s financial challenges.

“For over half of the City’s existence, Sand Park Pool has provided a recreational opportunity to our citizens. The citizens of Loves Park have repeatedly expressed the importance of this facility as numerous citizens reached out to me, as well as, other elected officials, about what could be done to increase the chances of reopening the pool,” said Mayor Greg Jury, City of Loves Park. 

Mayor Jury with support from the Loves Park City Council has been working with the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (RACVB) and other community partners to explore ways to utilize visitor spending to enhance support to Loves Park’s biggest tourist destination, Mercyhealth Sportscore Two and to help lessen the amount of property tax dollars the Rockford Park District utilizes to operate the facility. Mercyhealth Sportscore Two is a product of the region’s “Reclaiming First” initiative, which provided funding for the expansion of the facility owned and operated by the Rockford Park District. 

Every year, the City of Loves Park receives revenue from a hotel-motel tax paid for by visitors staying overnight. This hotel-motel tax is intended to support marketing and tourism related activities in the City of Loves Park. “Loves Park is the proud home of Mercyhealth Sportscore Two, one of the premier sports facilities in the Midwest. The majority of these guests are staying in our community and spending money on lodging, food, and gas thanks to a tournament or major event taking place at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two,” said Mayor Jury.

In a cooperative effort, the RACVB has agreed to redirect $80,000 of the City’s hotel-motel tax to support the marketing and operation of the Park District’s sports facilities that help generate tourism in the region 

“RACVB and the Rockford Park District have been partners for more than three decades and we want to continue to be a strong partner going forward. These funds will support the marketing and operation of Mercyhealth Sportscore Two and promote the long-term success of the facility by securing additional tournaments and customers,” said John Groh, RACVB President/CEO. 

The Rockford Park District will now take $80,000 of the nearly $250,000 in property tax dollars currently being used to help operate Mercyhealth Sportscore Two to reopen Sand Park Pool in 2020. “It was very important to the council that we find a way to not only invest in one of our biggest attractions, but to make sure our citizens have the recreational opportunities they deserve,” said Mayor Jury, City of Loves Park. “I am happy that Mayor Jury, with the support of the City Council, has come up with a plan that will ensure the opening of Sand Park Pool in time for the 2020 season. This is a win for the people of Loves Park,” added John Pruitt, City of Loves Park Second Ward Alderman. 

In 2017, nearly 13,500 guests utilized Sand Park Pool and approximately 200 individual youth participated in swim lessons. “We want to say thank you to Mayor Jury and the Loves Park City Council for your ongoing support of the Rockford Park District. This will enable us to operate Sand Park Pool in 2020. Our community told us that swimming pools are very important but we are at the point where we can’t continue to provide all the same services without help. It’s because of Mayor Jury’s efforts that thousands of families and children will once again have an opportunity to enjoy their local swimming pool,” said Rockford Park District Executive Director Jay Sandine. 

RACVB and the Park District have committed to exploring and securing additional funding that will support new marketing efforts for the region, the operation of those RPD facilities that are important to the region’s competitiveness in sports tourism, and other efforts that will collectively increase the quality of life of residents while growing the positive impacts visitors have in our region.

Original source can be found here.