From left, Zelienople Community Park manager Alecia Flood, council President Allen Bayer and lifelong borough resident Tom Murray inspect the community pool where a major replacement and renovation project is being planned. Murray recently donated $100,000 to the project, which will cost $2.1 million to $2.3 million.

ZELIENOPLE — The community pool is getting a major contribution for its replacement and renovation project.

Tom Murray, a lifelong borough resident and a former pool lifeguard, is donating $100,000 to the pool.

“I’ve been active with the community park for pretty much all my life,” he said. “My family has grown up around the pool.”

Murray said he decided to make the donation after seeing what the parks board and borough and have been doing to upgrade the pool.

“I just felt at my age I should just jump right in and help as much as I could,” he said. “It’s something I think people should do if they are able to. This way, we’ll assure the pool will be there for another 50 years for the community.”

Borough and parks board officials said they are grateful for the donation.

“Tom has been a wonderful supporter of the borough,” council President Allen Bayer said. “We certainly do appreciate that he would do such a thing.”

Borough manager Don Pepe said while the donation is a “significant step forward,” there is still “a good ways to go” before groundbreaking can take place on the renovations.

The borough has learned it will receive a $700,000 state grant for the pool project, which has an overall cost of $2.1 million to $2.3 million.

The tentative plan is to break ground within the next one to two years, depending on funding.

Potential features for the new pool include zero-grade entry to help those with physical challenges and toddlers and swimming lanes for competition. A filtration building, equipment and utilities, bathhouse improvements and landscaping will be included.

A storm drainage system will be installed to prevent water from the adjacent creek from overflowing at the pool in heavy rains.

Lap lanes, slides and a diving board also are being considered.

Murray said additional landscaping enhancements such as shelters and sidewalks are being looked at.

“I think it will be a big improvement,” he said of the project. “The pool is the center part of the park. As long as we have a wonderful park, I think it will enhance the entire community.”

Pepe said other grants are being sought for the project.

Park manager Alecia Flood also noted that Jen Semel, park office manager, and Carol Schneider, park board member, are working to seek grants and donations for the pool work.

“We are elated and really excited where the project can go,” Flood said.

This is the third donation in the past month for projects in the Zelienople.

In January, Randall Hart donated $7,000 to the Zelienople Public Library to eliminate the library’s financial deficit.

Also last month, Dr. Mark Marion, a dentist, announced the Marion Smile Center will participate in Smiles For Life to help fund the library.