Gaming money may fund Du Quoin pool repairs

Du Quoin Mayor-elect Guy Alongi met Monday morning with J.T. Blankinship engineers Amanda Tinsley and Don Beggs in search of an affordable solution to get the Du Quoin Municipal Swimming Pool open by Memorial Day weekend or soon after.

The pool, opened in 1978, is showing its age even though fairly expensive repairs underground behind the sidewalls have been made in recent years.

"Last year we lost $20,000 worth of water," said Alongi. And, Du Quoin is less than four weeks away from the seasonal opening.

"We've kicked the can down the road for so long on this pool," Alongi said.

City engineer Don Beggs said a $20,000 spot fix and another $105,000 in fixing leaks and sealing could get the pool through another year or two.

But, ultimately, "We're going to have to pony up for a new pool," said Alongi.

Beggs agrees. In the absence of a funding source like a park district the city could tap a $90,000 a year revenue stream from video gaming but a new pool-on-a-budget is about $1.5 million.

"You have a lot that is still in pretty good shape," Beggs said, ho went back to Murphysboro to crunch numbers. Alongi said not only is the pool a recreational asset but it is also home to the conference champion Swimming Indians.