ROCK SPRINGS — The City of Rock Springs received a $743,849 American Rescue Plan Act grant to assist in paying for renovations to the Century West Park Pool and Sprayground renovation project and the city’s parks and recreation department plans to open in 2026..

The grant award was included in $20 million distributed by the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation, with the city being one of 20 other projects receiving grant funds. The grant award is the only southwest Wyoming project in the second and final round of distributions. It is included in a list that sees multiple projects in Casper, Laramie, Cheyenne receiving funding, as well as projects initiated by the Wind River Development Fund, the Albany County Board of County Commissioners, and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. 

J.J. Syvrud, the city’s parks and recreation director, said the city was originally invited to apply for the grant in 2023 and only received notification of the grant award last October. The pool was removed and will be replaced with a splash pad that he said would be on par with the Evers Park Splash Park in Green River. He said the project is anticipated to be finished in 2026, but will open as soon as it’s completed.

He said he would usually want to have community discussions to ask residents what they want to see with a new park project, however the city only had a two-week period to apply for the grant. 

“We were spinning pretty hard to get it done,” he said.

Those two weeks of work led to the city receiving nearly $750,000 in grant money that will cover the costs of buying and installing the splash pad equipment. The city is covering the costs of other work for the project, which includes engineering and demolition. 

While some may mourn the loss of a beloved outdoor pool, Syvrud says the transition to a splash park will represent a savings to the city while allowing the splash park to operate longer than one of the city’s outdoor pools. He said the cost of water and chemicals, as well as the fact that the department wouldn’t need to hire lifeguards will result in savings to the city. Syvrud said lifeguards have become difficult positions to fill. Without lifeguards, the park can also stay open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor day. Century West was chosen for the project because it has a parking lot large enough to facilitate a large number of visitors.

Syvrud said the Century West pool was originally installed in 1983. Syvrud also said a similar project was floated while the city was finalizing its project list for the sixth-penny sales tax list, but was dropped in favor of using the funding for other needs within the city.

“These grants represent a significant investment in our communities and outdoor spaces, providing vital opportunities for recreation, health, and connection to nature,” Brynn Hirschman, grants coordinator for the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation said. “We are thrilled to support projects that will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, while fostering economic growth through outdoor recreation.”