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The city has postponed its opening day extravaganza for Prospect Pool by a week, from the originally scheduled May 27 to June 3.
The delay is necessary because recent rain postponed patching and painting on the concrete of the pool, city officials said Monday.
The paint needs seven to 10 days to cure, so it won't peel when exposed to chlorinated water, according to City Manager Omar Strohm and Councilman Ron Beatty.
The whole bottom of the pool has been repainted by a contractor, said Councilman Dave Ellis.
The process of filling the pool should begin sometime next week, Ellis said.
Opening day hours will be noon to 7 p.m., according to a page on the city website accessible via an icon titled "Prospect Pool Info."
There will be food trucks, a live radio broadcast and possibly a disc jockey -- and no charge for admission that day, Ellis said.
"We want to make it a party atmosphere," he said.
Other preparations continue.
A contractor who volunteered his time recently cut a hole in the roof of the concession stand and mounted a roof unit connecting with a hood inside that was installed by volunteers recently to accommodate the fryer, Ellis said.
All the work connected with that ventilation system should be complete by the end of the week, he said.
Altoona Area High School art students Monday finished painting logo elements on the front wall of the facility, said Mayor Matt Pacifico.
The logo was designed by one of the students.
There will be special events throughout the summer, according to Ellis.
Those can include parties, family reunions and picnics, he said.
Pool management will "figure out how to fit those in," he said.
"It's all coming together," said Strohm.
The pool committee has been relying on Strohm and Public Works Director Nate Kissell to organize the effort, according to Ellis.
"The committee pretty much just handed it (to Strohm and Kissell) and said, 'you need to make this work,'" Ellis said.
The community at large has been receptive, according to Ellis.
Evidence of it having "embraced this" includes the recent appearance of 50 volunteers in response to an appeal for help on a Saturday and donations from businesses of food and equipment for the concession stand, Ellis said.
Council will judge how things go with the operation in the summer, said Ellis, who was among those in the city who led the effort to take over operations at Prospect from the Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission, after declining attendance and other problems with Prospect in recent years.
"(The experience this summer) will be a big factor in the decision we'll be making about what happens with the future of the pool," Ellis said. "Several people on council believe there's a need and an interest."
Information on pricing, donation opportunities, job openings, policies and security and senior swim hour is available on prospectpoolaltoona.com.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.