Children's Play Area Could Re-open July 1

Children's Play Area could reopen July 1 if the work being done on the surface will make the wading pool safe again for users.

Crews have drained the pool and now are resanding the surface and will apply a textured paint that officials hope will prevent patrons from slipping on the surface. Once the paint's dried, the pool will have to be re-filled and tested.

If all goes well, officials said, the pool could be open by July 1.

In the meantime, the children's play area, a separate pool, is fenced in, gated and drained.

The popular pool has been open only a couple days since June 9 - its official send-off - out of concerns that parts of the venue were .

Crews last week drained the pool, retreated the cement and then reopened June 16. But by mid-day June 17, it closed again as people continued to express concerns that some of it still didn't seem safe.

"Safety of our patrons is our first priority," said Ann Ziolkowski, the marketing and communications director for the .

Closing has not been a popular decision, she said, but "we felt it was a safety concern and a big enough concern that we decided we would close it." 

The rest of the swimming area at Meadowhill remains open and the children's play area at the the also is available, she said.