The Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority (NVJRA) recently provided community members and stakeholders with an update on the plans to rebuild the Kepler Pool.

Cindy Kunes and Mike Musser, of the NVJRA, gave the public a rundown of the authority itself, the history of the project, avenues for funding and what can be expected moving forward.

Originally constructed in 1971, the Kepler Pool serves Bellefonte, Benner Township, Spring Township, Walker Township and more. The NVJRA has representatives from each municipality involved in the program, including:

— Mike Musser and John Tooker, representing Bellefonte Borough

BREANNA HANLEY/THE EXPRESS Mike Musser presents the Kepler Pool designs to those in the audience at a public meeting held Tuesday in Bellefonte, while Cindy Kunes looks on.

— Sue Rockey (one vacancy) representing Benner Township

— Chris Haak (one vacancy) representing Spring Township

— Cindy Kunes and Frank Skrzycki representing Walker Township

On top of these individuals, many elected officials, businesses, community stakeholders, volunteers and community members have dedicated a lot of time into the project.

According to Kunes, they have received 33 letters of support for the project, as well as $33,481 in donations.

BREANNA HANLEY/THE EXPRESS Pictured is the design plans for the future Kepler Pool improvements.

Despite over 50 years having passed since its initial construction, the Kepler Complex — which consists of the main pool, wading pool, bath house building and concession building — has only had structural and mechanical repairs and there have been no significant updates made to the facility.

Kunes gave a brief timeline of events, beginning in 2018 when the plans were secured for a redesign and rebuild of the facility. In 2019, they secured a DCNR grant that, when combined with a municipal match, gave them around $700,000 to put towards the reconstruction.

“COVID hit… Kepler Pool closed due to mechanical and structural issues,” said Kunes, “It just wasn’t safe to continue to open that pool year after year. It was losing significant amounts of water every single day — so it was an environmental issue. It just made sense to close it at that time.”

Since then, the project has continued to move.

In 2021, they received bids for the project which were three times higher than the grant they’d received in 2019.

“We had to regroup, rethink and in 2022 and 2023 we established a more realistic budget… secured additional grants and we pursued some new project partners,” said Kunes.

Kunes gave numerous reasons as to why the pool should be rebuilt and reopened. Some of the significant reasons included:

— A pool offers a safe place to swim where adults and children alike are within reach of lifeguards who can prevent disasters. Approximately 4,000 die by drowning every year across the U.S. Because more than half of the population lacks basic swimming skills, drowning is the leading cause of death for 1 to 4 year olds, the second leading cause of death for 5 to 14 year olds and the third leading cause for the remainder of the population.

— Community pools provide opportunities for water safety, swimming lessons, community recreation and physical activity.

— Community pools promote physical health and activity for all age groups, and promotes social interaction and psychological well-being.

— Community pools can strengthen connections between family members, community members and promote community engagement.

— A community pool could be a catalyst for tourism through swim team competition, rentals and more.

— When the pool’s systems are updated, they will support sustainability in the county. Water efficient filtration systems, energy efficient components and more will positively impact the environment.

Musser discussed the planned design for the pool, indicating that the entire orientation of the pool will be designed to best utilize space. The design also reconfigures the bathhouse and concession area, relocates the mechanical room and more.

One of the avenues they’ve used for funding is the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), which is a tax credit program that encourages local businesses to invest in projects that improve the areas in which they work.

Businesses who invest in the Kepler Pool project through NAP can receive a tax credit of up to 55%.

Through NAP, they’ve raised $75,000 to put towards the project.

The full budget breakdown for Kepler Pool — including both phases of the project and adjusted for estimated 2026 costs — totals $4.5 million.

Phase I of the project will cost an estimated $2.9 million and will cover the main pool, systems such as the pumps, filters, chemical control/holding tank, levelor, deck/safety equipment, concrete, plumbing, electrical, slide and climbing wall and the pavilion.

Phase II totals at $1.6 million and includes amenities such as a children’s wading pool, splash pad and play features and additional amenities that would be nice to have but are not a priority at the moment.

According to Kunes, the project itself has already been approved by code.

“The final design is ready and it’s been approved by code. It’s beautiful. We can call the project ‘shovel-ready.’ When you’re applying for grants, when you have a shovel-ready project, it makes it very attractive,” said Kunes.

Currently, the authority is working towards closing their funding gaps by pursuing more grant funding and other project partners.

“Everything is aligned perfectly for us to move forward, a little bit of money is just missing,” said Kunes.

Currently, they have secured $1.2 million to match a DCNR grant that they’re applying for.

“This area is growing. You can see the amount of people moving to the area… It’s not going to slow down. A pool is a basic piece of the community fabric,” said Musser.

The NVJRA and Nittany Valley Recreation Inc. encourage anyone interested in the project to reach out and join their volunteer base.

If you have questions, comments or want to learn how you can help, please reach out to NVJRASecretary@gmail.com.