CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County recently approved plans to renovate Parker Pool in Flour Bluff.
County officials said it will be a two-part project, so it does not interfere with the summer pool season. While Parker Pool is not ready for swimmers yet, Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney said there are big changes coming for the county-operated pool.
"We're going to do, kind of, the aesthetic part first and then come back later and do the guts of it after the pool season is over because we don't want to do anything to interrupt the pool season," Chesney said.
The new project comes after previous renovations to the deck and bathrooms. That work cost at least $200,000 but Chesney said this next phase could cost more. He said many people from Flour Bluff and Padre Island use Parker Pool, making it a priority for him.
"This is a great project in Flour Bluff that I've been working on for many, many years, and I know it's very important to that community, " Chesney said. "So, I told them not only would we keep it and maintain it, but we'd improve it."
Chesney said pool repairs can be paid for with $400,000 in grant funds that he can use for his precinct.
"There might be some ongoing things that they could finish up while people are there, but we want that pool open for Memorial Day through Labor Day, and we're going to make sure that happens," Chesney said.
Planned work for this phase includes renovating bathrooms and the pump house, adding new technology, a shelter and concession area, and repainting the pool. Chesney said when the pool is open, it is packed with people who can take advantage of the pool's upgrades.
"There's thousands of people that use this pool during, you know, the five months that we're open, and that's exactly what we're here to do is to help serve the constitutes that we serve," Chesney said.
After the pool season, Chesney said work will be focused on updating pumps in the pump house.