After a summer of back-and-forth commentary regarding the renovation of Blair Park pool in Lake Bluff, elected and appointed officials close to the rebuild were treated to complimentary light bites and a cocktail bar at a VIP Pool Party at the pool.
The Tuesday, Aug. 26 two two-hour party began at 7 p.m. with guests encouraged to don cocktail attire and deck shoes.
A lifeguard in swimming attire was seated in the customary tall lifeguard chair to monitor the large pool, but no one was swimming. Instead, the pool surface during the program was mirror calm and dotted with several illuminated floating flowers.
“This is a great night because it’s an opportunity for the park district to thank all of its supporters that helped make this pool renovation project be completed,” said Lake Bluff Park District Executive Director John Bealer.
According to a park district release, ”the renovation of this important community amenity was made possible with an OSLAD (Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development) grant and the support of Senator Morrison and State Representative Morgan (Bob Morgan Dist. 58-Highwood).”
Illinois State Senator Julie Morrison (Dist. 29-Deerfield) of Lake Forest was among speakers addressing the audience using a passed microphone.
Before public remarks about the project, Morrison said poolside that, “It’s absolutely gorgeous.
“There was an OSLAD grant that helped pay for it.
“I can’t think of a better place to put state dollars than help a community have something like this for their neighborhood, and at the same time, keep some of the park district taxes down,” Morrison said.
“And that’s what the grants are for.”
According to https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/28/lake-bluff-blair-park-pool-open/, the 2025 summer reopening was delayed two months and opened on July 20 amid $2.7 million in renovations.
The Lake Bluff Park District Board of Commissioners approved a construction bid in October 2024. The OSLAD grant was $600,000 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
Last February, the park board issued a $1.725 million non-referendum general obligation bond over five years for the project, with the park district relying on capital reserves to keep the pool operational for another two decades.
“It’s a place of public gathering and fitness, swimming, and young families coming together, and it’s a very important facility for the public,” Bealer said.
“They’ve been enjoying this for 51 years, and thanks to this renovation, we should get another 20 years out of it.”
During program remarks, Paul Greenfield of Lake Bluff, president of the Lake Bluff Park District Board of Commissioners, indicated that Blair Park, as an asset, “remains a hub of the community.
“We’re proud of the many close partnerships we’ve developed over the years that have helped the park district grow to what it is today,” Greenfield said.
The pool’s reopening on July 20 occurred when the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued the permit.
Bealer was publicly vocal earlier this summer about the delay. Did the state ask for exhaustive project revisions and clarifications? Did the contractor fumble on their responsibility to complete the required buildout?
Looking back, “I was a little fussy,” Bealer said. “It was right at the end of the project, just trying to open, I was pretty frustrated with the fact that we hadn’t opened,
and it was so delayed.”
According to an IDPH spokesperson, an IDPH inspector visited the pool on July 18 and found project incompletions including uninstalled gates and no heater connected.
On a banner sunset late August evening, the pool water was warm to the touch. Several dozen invited guests mingled in golden hour lighting with outdoor temperatures in the 60-degree range.
Dignitaries, some wearing colorful illuminated Hawaiian lei necklaces, gathered along the corner of the pool’s deep end so diving boards could be part of the backdrop for a blue ribbon cutting photo op.
“We’ve been working to raise money and it looks beautiful,” said Margaret Vrioni of Lake Bluff, trustee of the Friends of Lake Bluff Parks.“It’s nice to see the fruits of our labor.”
Janice Schnobrich of Lake Bluff, also a party guest, indicated about the pool’s current status, “I think it’s wonderful.
“I like the fact that they did this without taxing and going into debt any further.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.