The 42-acre Swift-Cantrell Park, located just northwest of downtown on Old Highway 41, features a dog park, a skate park, three picnic pavilions, a mile-long perimeter trail and a half-mile inner trail, as well as an open field. The master plan calls for an amphitheater, tennis and volleyball courts, a disc golf course, a recreation center and an aquatic center.
But the Kennesaw City Council will consider revisiting the plan at its regular meeting Monday.
“We’re going to go through it and make sure what’s in it is still appropriate,” Mayor Mark Mathews said after Wednesday’s Council work session.
The city is moving forward with some improvements at Swift-Cantrell Park, which the city purchased in 2004 using funding from a parks and recreation bond passed that year. The Council will also consider sending out a request for proposals for exercise equipment to be installed on the outer trail at the park. The equipment would be set up at seven exercise stations along the trail.
Mathews said the equipment, estimated to cost around $30,000, would be paid for with a grant from Coca-Cola, as well as fundraising through the park’s fundraising arm, the Swift-Cantrell Park Foundation.
Councilman Jeff Duckett said he recently discussed placing an aquatic center in the park with a group who was interested in paying for an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a water park. The city would only be required to donate the land for the aquatic center, which would be privately run.
But Duckett said the city’s interest quickly diminished when told the builders wanted to put an inflatable roof over the pool so it could be used year-round. Duckett said the city preferred a more permanent building to house the pool, but the builders didn’t want to pay for that.
“Now the city would have to come up with $3 million,” Duckett said. “I’m at the point where we just … forget about it.”












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What a stupid decision. Give up a FREE pool because you don't want an inflatable roof?
Obviously Mr. Duckett isn't aware that NFL teams use inflatable buildings over their practice fields.
I would think an inflatable roof would be great. Allowing open air use during summer, but climate controlled use in winter.
And again...at NO cost to the city (taxpayers) of Kennesaw.