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The water slide was installed as part of the construction of the Bryson Pool that opened in 1998, replacing the comparatively meager Mersman Pool. It recently sold for $6,581.25 on GovDeals.
Source: City of Celina
CELINA - City officials plan to replace the 19-foot-tall, 150-foot-long twisting water slide that lends a definite wow factor to Celina's Bryson Pool.
Mayor Jeff Hazel said a new slide will likely cost in the $400,000 range and promised it will be bigger, better and "more fun for the kids."
The expense will be picked up by the Bryson Trust Fund, a charity dedicated to all city recreational facilities.
The water slide was installed as part of the construction of the Bryson Pool that opened in 1998, replacing the comparatively meager Mersman Pool.
"We have used that pool slide to its max. The fiberglass, it separates after years being in the sun. We've glazed it multiple times," Hazel said. "The metal grating on it was all going to have be sandblasted again and there was rusted areas that were going to have to be replaced of all the supports on it."
Hazel said he hopes to have the new slide in by Memorial Day. But that will all depend on the vendor the city ends up going with.
"We've got some time now. We've got four or five, six months. If I can get that in in May and have that operational, that would be phenomenal," he said.
A youngster shoots out of a slide at Bryson Pool in Celina in this file photo. The city plans to replace the aging water slide, hopefully in time for next year's pool opening, The cost is likely to be in the $400,000 range, according to mayor Jeff Hazel.
The current water slide and stairs sold for $6,581.25 on GovDeals on Tuesday. The undisclosed winner is responsible for disassembling and hauling away the materials, according to GovDeals, a site dedicated to government agencies and their surplus disposition.
Bidding started at $50 on Nov. 2 and rose incrementally before a full-blown bidding war broke out on Tuesday morning, ramping up the eventual price from $110 to $6,581.25, the website shows.
The Bryson Pool boasts 9,750 square feet of water and also features eight competitive lanes, three diving boards, a splash pad, youth slide, climbing wall and zero depth access area.
"We have a new one (slide) that Bryson is paying for. I think we're finalizing numbers on it," Hazel said.
Bryson Trust Fund officers review city leaders' funding requests and the Mercer County Probate Court has final say.
Upon his death on Jan. 11, 1950, Ed Bryson left part of his estate to what was then the Commercial Bank of Celina "for the use and benefit of the public playgrounds in Mercelina Park, Celina, Ohio, or to assist in the construction of a public swimming pool by said city."
Through court approval, the intent of Bryson's charity was expanded to include all city recreational facilities.
The Bryson Trust Fund has for decades financed millions of dollars in projects such as the Bryson Pool, shelter houses, park restrooms and other recreational improvements. The fiduciary of the trust fund today is First Financial Bank of Cincinnati.
City officials in 2015 borrowed $2.64 million to help buy the former Versa Pak and Mercelina Mobile Home Court along Lake Shore Drive. The price was $2.2 million for the Mercelina land and $745,000 for the former Versa Pak property.
The city has since converted the 8 acres into the Bryson Park District. Today the park district boasts the state-of-the-art Harley C. Jones Memorial Rotary Amphitheater, a 2,827-square-foot splash pad and an array of new playground equipment and other amenities paid for with donations, grants and the other sources.
The city contributed $300,000 toward the acquisition of the land and borrowed on behalf of the Bryson Trust Fund to finalize the deal. The trust officers committed to paying for 90% of the purchase and were responsible for the entire principal, interest and other fees associated with the note.
