Today, New York State Assemblymember Monica P. Wallace was joined by Village of Sloan Mayor Thomas Ferrucci and officials from the Town of Cheektowaga to announce the opening of a newly-constructed splash pad in Sloan Village Park, located at 50 Griffith Street. Work on the splash pad began earlier this year and was completed this week.

“With summer now here, Sloan’s youngest residents will have a new way to enjoy summer with friends and family,” said Wallace. “I’m glad that I was able to secure funding to transform the wading pool into a splash pad, offering an inclusive option for all children while saving village taxpayers from the cost of repairing and maintaining the wading pool. Working with Mayor Ferrucci, we were able to ensure that Sloan residents will have a fun, safe, and affordable way to beat the summer heat for generations to come.”

“This is an exciting day for residents of the Village of Sloan,” said Village of Sloan Mayor Thomas Ferrucci. “The wading pool served generations of Sloan residents, but it had fallen into a state of disrepair and a big change was needed. As we explored options on how best to remediate the wading pool’s footprint in Village Park, we decided that a splash pad would be both a cost-effective and modern addition that is both interactive and ADA accessible, and moved forward with the planning and construction of the splash pad. We appreciate the resources and assistance that Assemblymember Wallace, the Town of Cheektowaga Supervisor Diane Benczkowski and Engineer Mark Christel provided in completing the splash pad in time for summer, and I look forward to seeing the enjoyment the splash pad will bring to our youngest residents.”

The new splash pad was constructed on the site of the former village wading pool in Sloan Village Park. The wading pool, which was constructed over 50 years ago, had fallen into disrepair. Village officials estimated that repairs to the wading pool would have been approximately $350,000. That led to village officials exploring additional water recreation options for residents.

The total cost of the splash pad project was $265,000, with Wallace securing $125,000 in state funding and the remainder being financed through Community Development Block Grant funding and through village funds. Knowing that the wading pool was quickly becoming too costly to maintain, village officials started saving additional funds to help with an eventual project.

The Sloan Village Park splash pad is now open Monday through Saturday, 11:00am until 8:00pm and Sunday from 11:00am until 4:00pm. The use of the splash pad is free for residents and the grandchildren of residents. There is a $5.00 daily fee for non-residents, or they can purchase a seasonal pass for $20.00 by contacting Sloan Village Hall.