Johnson City Parks & Recreation: Carver Recreation Center Splash Pad Dedicated, Opening Set For Friday

Press release from Johnson City Parks & Recreation:

May 27, 2021

A state-of-the-art splash pad came to life Thursday at Carver Recreation Center to the delight of area children who romped through the 24 standing and ground features following a formal dedication.

Carver’s new attraction will officially open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday (May 28). The splash pad will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., seven days a week through Labor Day. The 3,800-square-foot splash pad is located at 322 W. Watauga Ave. on Carver’s east side in a green space between the pavilion and West Market Street. 

“One of the very first conversations that I had with Carver Supervisor Herb Greenlee when I became director was the need for a new playground and a splash pad,” said Johnson City Parks and Recreation Director James Ellis. “He had been talking about these for years.”

The playground became a reality in 2018 when the City of Johnson City was awarded a $200,000 grant through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Local Parks and Recreation Fund. The City of Johnson City matched that amount to help fund the $400,000 splash pad, which was built by Murfreesboro’s Great Southern Recreation.

Carver Recreation Center is home to the City’s first recirculating splash pad system. The system conserves water by collecting it from the features and chemically treating it in a 2,000-gallon reservoir to ensure it is sanitized before pumping it back to the features. The recirculating system also increases water pressure, which allows it to power larger features like the bucket dump.      

Aquatics professionals from the Parks and Recreation team will ensure the chemical and pump systems are maintained according to state regulations. City staff are constructing an outdoor restroom facility to serve the splash pad, playground and outdoor pavilions.

Throughout Carver Recreation Center’s 62-plus years, it has offered an increasing number of youth programs, including robust sports and afterschool programs. The location is also home to several intergenerational and/or multicultural events each year and continues to focus its efforts on bringing the community together for fun, fellowship and service.

For more information on Carver Recreation Center, call 423-461-8830 or visit www.johnsoncitytn.org/carver.

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This press release was produced by Johnson City Parks & Recreation. The views expressed here are the author’s own.