Hicksville Splash Pad

An exciting and fun feature is still expected to splash down in Hicksville this year.

Ground was broken for the village's splash pad in April after the community raised $800,000 for the facility with the village providing additional support and joining it with the village's swimming pool replacement project.

The goal is to have the Splash Pad completed and operating before the end of the year, but will not officially open to the public until Spring of 2025.

"There is still some outstanding material they (contractor Vernon Nagel Construction) are waiting on, and (there is) a significant amount of concrete to be poured," stated Cory Wann, Hicksville village administrator. "All the fixtures have been delivered for the pad itself." Painting has been done to the inside of the building. The metal roofing needs to be installed still as well.

"There is a lot to be done but it won't take long once they get started," Wann noted.

Wann said that the biggest "hang up" getting the splash pad going was changes the Ohio Department of Health wanted to make to the original plans.

"We lost about two months on that, or this would have been completed by now," he stated.

While the splash pad won't be ready until September, officials said the facility will definitely be in operation this year.

"There is no way we will have it built and not run until next spring," Wann stressed. "We have to check it for leaks and work all the kinks out of it."

Wann pointed out that the splash pad is phase 1 of the splash pad/replacement pool project for the village. 

"Some infrastructure for the pool will be in place with the splash pad," he confirmed, adding that the village received a $750,000 grant for the pool project, which will take a year to build. The project is still awaiting an engineer's estimate before going out to bid. 

Hicksville Mayor Mike Barth praised the splash pad as an asset to the community.

"We're looking forward to (it) being open," he commented. "We're excited it's coming. ... It will be a great asset for our park, our community and the surrounding community to enjoy."

Barth expressed that members of the Hicksville Community Fund committee were instrumental in helping raise donations for the splash pad.

Kirk Collins of the Hicksville Community Fund affirmed the community raised the initial goal of $800,000 for the project.

"We appreciate the support on it," he proclaimed. "It will be great when it's all finished up. It's great to see how everyone stepped up to raise that type of money. It will be something the community will be proud of and be used for years to come."

Collins acknowledged that there may be some additional costs for the splash pad following its construction.

"We assume there may be other things we need to buy, like benches," he commented. "I don't know what that will be at that point . ... We're waiting to go through this period (of construction) before we know what to do next."

To acknowledge the contributions community members made to the splash pad project, a donor wall featuring those who made significant donations will be part of the splash pad facility. 

Collins praised everyone for their work to make the splash pad a reality.