Sullivan City Pool dedicated at ceremony after expansion

Sep. 1—As a 17-year-old high school student, the opening of a new Sullivan City Pool in 1963 was a moment Jean McMahan had been long anticipated.

"It was the summer between my junior and senior year in high school," McMahan said. "It was exciting to have an actual pool right here in Sullivan. On opening day the place was full, just full, from little kids up through high school.

"A lot of us were up on the sun deck. We had baby oil all over us," she said, adding she spent that entire summer at the city pool.

On Wednesday, McMahan, now 76, took part in a dedication ceremony to recognize the efforts to reopen the pool, which had closed in 2018. She serves on the Sullivan Board of Public Works and Safety.

The new pool project returned a new sun deck, a new bath house, expanded a kiddy pool, added a lily pad walkway, two water slides, a diving board and rock climbing walls that extend up from the pool's deep end and has the ability for swimming lanes for competition. The city opened the pool in July.

It's a project that started with an estimated cost of $2.3 million, but has exceeded $4 million as costs include a new bath house, audio system, cameras, a new parking lot and lights.

The project received $1 million from American Rescue Plan for Sullivan; $1 million from an Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative grant also funded from the ARP; $368,000 from an Indiana Department of Natural Resources grant; $150,000 from a Splash Sullivan fundraiser which is ongoing; plus the remaining funds from a local income tax, said Sullivan Mayor Clint Lamb.

"Call them Biden Bucks, whatever you want, but the American Rescue Plan is an investment," Lamb said. "I have never seen anything in my 42 years of my life that says America first than investing in Sullivan, Indiana, United States of America.

"We also raised nearly $2 million as far as local [fund] raising," the mayor said. "Back in 2019, four Sullivan County Councilman made a decision to invest in ourselves. We are the 91st out of 92 counties to adopt a local income tax."

Greg Goode, president of the Wabash River Regional Development Authority, said the pool is the first project completed with a READI grant.

Ellen Tucker, a member of the Sullivan Park Board, said "when we closed the pool (in 2018), we figured that was forever," adding the new pool must be maintained.

"If we don't keep it up, we will be right back to where we came from," Tucker said.

The pool project still has more lighting and landscaping to be added next year, Lamb said.

The new pool, the mayor said, is a regional attraction aimed at bringing visitors and potential new residents to the small city of under 4,000 residents.

"In my third term (as mayor), and I am knocking on wood because I don't want to jinx this, but this (pool project) is one of the only projects that I have yet to hear a complaint," he said.

As part of the dedication, a metal cylinder will serve as a time capsule to be buried under a stone marker, which states it is to be opened in August 2047, for the pool's 25th anniversary.

Some contents include a list of elected officials and those involved with the project; small round city pins with the city's blue and yellow logo; a quality of life plan for future mayors to see what has been done and what remains; a history of the pool; plus a letter from the mayor, said Elanna Luttrell, special projects coordinator for the city.

Lamb read the letter as part of the dedication.

"Hello, here in 2022 there are so many amazing projects and initiatives underway in Sullivan," Lamb said. "I hope by celebrating the 25th anniversary of the revitalization you are all taking good care of this pool and the rest of our amazing city. If all of the projects in this booklet are not completed, I hope the document inspires you to pick at least one of them to complete or come up with a new initiative in 2047. Thank you all for loving Sullivan and your commitment to our amazing community."

Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter@TribStarHoward.