Construction vehicles splash down at Surf's Up

ouriel@sanduskyregister.comSANDUSKYThe large stones falling from a backhoe crashed harder than waves bouncing around and cooling off patrons at a once-beloved pool closing in 2003.About a week ago, construction crews started tearing up Surf's Up, the former wave-action pool at the Sandusky Bay Pavilion.The $97,000 job, finalized in late 2015, also involves:• Removing trees and the large wall near the pool's deep end, providing people from Shoreline Drive with an unobstructed view looking out toward Sandusky Bay• Filling in the pool with rubble and dirt, which will eventually transform into a large grassy area• Demolishing the restroom buildings, concession area and pump house; only a small playground and picnic area will remain standingAll work must end by April, as indicated in a city contract. Starting in May, local nonprofits and community foundations booked the Sandusky Bay Pavilion for events.Work on the property largely occurred for safety concerns."The restrooms and concession areas got broken into all the time. They were vandalized. The pool had an 8-foot drop sectioned off only by a snow fence," said Sandusky engineer Aaron Klein, who's overseeing the project. "This is a serious safety issue that we needed to improve."Sandusky ex officio mayor Dennis Murray Jr. added: "It's dangerous. It's unsightly. It blocks the public view of the waterfront, which is a huge value, and keeps us from seeing what the long-term opportunity is for the property."Among some other notable tidbits about the project:• Funding: City officials struck a tax financing deal with Battery Park Marina owners for development purposes. Money on the marina's improved property value deposits into a city account meant to enhance nearby public spaces. Demolishing and cleaning up the pavilion qualifies to draw from this account. Money from this account should cover all costs. If not, the city's budget will subsidize the remaining expense.• Public property: "This will remain public park space, and there is not a plan anywhere within the city to do anything with it other than to use it as a park space," Murray said. "In fact the National Park Service will be down our throats if we had any other ideas. While we don't necessarily know how the park will be redeveloped, after demolition that will be part of the master plan that we will be looking at in the months ahead."An excavator tears up reinforced concrete at the former Surf's Up location near downtown Sandusky on Wednesday afternoon. A pair of excavators tear up reinforced concrete at the former Surf's Up location near downtown Sandusky on Wednesday afternoon.