New renderings show what’s ahead with McKennan Park wading pool

The McKennan Park wading pool is on track to be open at the start of this year’s swim season.

Renderings courtesy of city of Sioux Falls and Stockwell Engineers

“It’s going well,” park development specialist Tyler Landry said in a city update. “I’m sure as regular users to the park have noticed there’s a large building there now and quite a bit has changed.”

The new format for the pool “meets the new standards that we expect with pools” with zero-depth entry, a two-person slide and many play features in addition to shaded areas, he said.

“The old pool had a fence right around it. This will have an open turf area where we’ll have seating. This addition will have lots of ways to relax both in sun and shade.”

Finishing touches are being put on the bathhouse, which includes five new bathrooms, a concessions area and “a nice gathering space inside,” Landry said.

“Right now if you go by, they’re putting up siding, and it’s looking like it blends into the neighborhood, so it really matches that historic value.”

Sioux Falls pools typically open in early June. The goal is for McKennan’s wading pool to be filled with water at that point. The new pool will have free admission.

The former McKennan Park wading pool was more than 50 years old and not up to modern standards.

The $4.4 million project includes a donation from Pierce and Barbara McDowell through the Sioux Falls Parks Foundation, an affiliate of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.

It allows up to $2.5 million to support expanded concessions, additional spray features and shade structures, and irrigation of the turf surrounding the pool.