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This rendering from Saratoga Associates shows a design the city of Schenectady is considering as it plans to replace the old Central Park poll with a new pool on the site of the parks long-abandoned ternnis stadium.

SCHENECTADY – Mayor Gary McCarthy said he hopes the city can begin construction on a new pool for Central Park by the fall, setting in motion construction of a new facility in the long-abandoned tennis stadium that is now choked with weeds and brush.

The plan to transform the stadium — once the home of Schenectady's World Team Tennis team — into a new multi-million dollar pool is coming into focus. A local neighborhood group recently shared architectural renderings with residents but noted the plans have not been formalized. It shows a pool that will have a section for swimming laps and a separate wading area connected by a waterway. The complex is also expected to have a kiddie pool.

“That’s the ideal thing – get the design work done, get it out to bid, and then from there, start the actual work,” the mayor said of plans to have work started by the fall.

In addition to hiring the architectural firm Saratoga Associates, the city has hired Aquattica, a company that specializes in swimming pools, said the mayor.  

He said that the overall project could also include other upgrades in the park, including the addition of bleacher seats to nearby tennis courts in the park, improved lighting and the completion of sidewalks around a ball field and the Music Haven concert venue.

“I’d like to class that all up and get better utilization of the space that’s there,” added McCarthy. 

McCarthy has previously said that the roughly $3 million cost of the project would be paid by American Rescue Plan Act funding.   

McCarthy said officials from Saratoga Associates were expected to release new renderings and updated information about the project earlier this week.

The plan from earlier this year indicates that once the draft development phase is completed, the city will have a “finalized design and completed construction documents that are ready for bidding."

The aging Central Park pool doesn’t meet current state Health Department regulations. Bird droppings have led to sanitary issues because the pool doesn’t have a filtration system and must be drained and refilled daily.

Located next to Iroquois Lake, the pool is a popular destination for geese and ducks. Constructing the new pool at the long-closed and neglected stadium would move the facility out of the flight path of birds.

One proposal calls for a music note-shaped pool divided into areas with swimming lanes and space for general use. Additional amenities would include a bathhouse, changing area, pavilions and a dining area. 

A document outlining the project from January indicated that “Saratoga Associates and its vendors would perform the tasks outlined in this proposal” for a fee not to exceed $450,000. 

Based in Voorheesville, Aquattica, according to its website,  “delivers expert design, engineering, and consulting solutions for commercial, institutional and municipal swimming pools and aquatics facilities.”

Paul Nelson covers cops and courts in Schenectady County as well as the suburban towns of Niskayuna and Rotterdam. Contact him at pnelson@timesunion.com or 518-454-5347.