OAK ISLAND — Oak Island residents will soon have a freshwater option to splash in, just one block from the ocean.
The town’s Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday that a splash pad, years in the making, will be installed before the summer.
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Plans include a water-spouting fish and crab, spray loops and jets that will all sit on a 2,867 square foot pad.
The new splash pad is part of Oak Island’s Middleton Park redevelopment project, which also includes plans for a new playground and amphitheater. Donations were collected this summer at town-sponsored food truck rodeo to benefit the project.
On Dec. 11, Oak Island’s Town Council approved a contract for purchase and installation of the Splash Pad equipment with the aquatic structure company, Vortex.
The contract amount is not yet available but will be paid for using a portion of $200,000 in funds set aside in this fiscal year’s budget for the park redevelopment project. The funds were provided by a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant that Oak Island matched with its own funds.
According to Oak Island’s Parks and Recreation Department, the splash pad will be ADA accessible. Construction will begin soon, the department’s Friday Facebook post states. The splash pad is expected to open by late spring.
Send tips and comments to Johanna Ferebee at johanna@localvoicemedia.com
