There was a time prior to 2002 when any Sunday afternoon in the summer would find the Cermak Woods in Lyons jammed with hundreds of picnickers, roving mariachi bands and swimmers.
The main draw was not the forest preserve itself but Cermak Pool, a 1-million gallon rectangular tank that could accommodate the crowds and serve as a welcome relief to heat and humidity for people who had no swimming pools in their hometowns.
Since the pool closed in 2002, the picnickers have gone. But they may be returning soon with the opening of the brand-new Cermak Family Aquatic Center on the site of the former pool at 7600 Ogden Ave.
The Cook County Forest Preserve District-operated aquatic center, geared toward children 12 and under, officially opens Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. The pool will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until some time in mid- to late-August.
Admission to the aquatic center for the rest of the 2008 season will be free. Beginning in 2009, the daily admission fee will likely be $5 for adults and $2 for children.
"For me, this is the culmination of a six-year process of improving all of the amenities the forest preserve district provides in the western suburbs," said Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-16th), a resident of Riverside. "This will provide some of the finest water recreation ... for people who otherwise have no place to go."
Old-timers won't recognize the new facility, which features a new building that holds enclosed locker rooms with private showers, restrooms, a concession stand and the pool's mechanical equipment.
The only nod to the old structure, built in the 1920s and named after then-Forest Preserve District president and future Chicago mayor, Anton Cermak, are the heavy wooden exterior doors of the bath house.
The aquatic center proper is divided into three distinct areas: a zero-depth splash pad for toddlers; a shallow water (2.5 feet deep) area for young children equipped with water cannons, a central play area with a slide and other water features; and a "lazy river" that allows both children and adults to float along on inner tubes down a meandering canal.
Lifeguards will patrol the aquatic center and parents can watch their children from the deck or the separate seating area near the concession stand, which will be able to serve patrons both in the pool area and out in the park.
Outside the pool area, the park has been spruced up a bit. The lagoon to the west of the pool has been restocked with fish and the banks have been cleared of overgrowth. The parking lot and entry drive have been repaved, and a new two-lane bike path follows the lagoon's bank to the west and past the pool on the east.
Thursday's event ends a long wait for the new aquatic center, which has been talked about since 2001. The $4.3 million aquatic center was constructed using funds from the Illinois FIRST program. The forest preserve district paid for improvements to the park and for the bike path.
