ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — The Riverfront splash pad has been closed for two summers, and Dougherty County officials say it must be demolished after being condemned.

During the closure, the county provided inflatable water bounce houses on weekends in place of the splash pad. Assistant County Administrator Barry Brooks says the splash pad became inoperable because the equipment was old and no longer met current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.

Equipment and compliance issues

Brooks said the splash pad, reached a point where it could not be repaired or maintained. He said there were also concerns about how the facility was originally designed. The equipment room was underground and lacked adequate ventilation.

“So, when it was designed, that was fine,” Brooks said. “But as different standards and different policies got put in place, like by OSHA, we were out of compliance, to be honest.”

New partnership and funding plan

The county reportedly plans to demolish the splash pad and build a new attraction in partnership with the RiverQuarium. The space will remain free to the public and will be designed around the Flint River, tying into the RiverQuarium’s theme.

The plan includes a new splash pad along with improvements to the RiverQuarium itself.

The project cost is $3.9 million. The county has secured $700,000 from SPLOST 7 and 8 funds. Officials are requesting more than $2 million from U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who have added the request to their appropriations list.

“We’re also at the mercy of everything else that is happening in D.C.,” Brooks said. “So, we just have to be patient. We request the public to be patient. And that’s one of the reasons why we did the weekend play pads that we had put up, the inflatable.”

COVERAGE OF WHEN THE SPLASH PAD FIRST OPENED IN 2019:

Brooks said the county hopes the appropriation is approved during this funding cycle so phase one of the project can begin, with a possible completion in 2028 if the process moves as planned.

“Part of the battle that we have in Washington is nothing is as planned right now,” Brooks said. “I think everybody knows that. So, while we have both Senators, which is unusual, submitting this project in their requests, we’re also at the mercy of everything else that is happening in D.C.”

Brooks said the county is asking the public for patience, which is part of why the weekend inflatable water attractions were introduced.

Officials at the RiverQuarium said they will soon sign an agreement with an architect firm to establish sketches and get community input on what residents would like to see.

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