EVANS CITY — The planned renovations to EDCO Community Pool are moving along after the authority received a $140,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development.

“What our community has done by using their time, talent and treasure in support of the park has been nothing short of amazing,” said John Rogers, president of the EDCO Park Authority board and EDCO Foundation. “This grant is really going to help us achieve our goals.”

State Rep. Jim Marshall, R-14th, announced the department's Greenways, Trails and Recreation program grant award Wednesday.

The grant will be used to make the pool more accessible to families with young children and special needs children.

Cindy Caldwell of the EDCO Park authority board said the project will incorporate interactive pool features for special needs children.

Rogers said this grant would not have been possible without support from a community that has demonstrated through donations and volunteer time that they want the pool to stay open. “Our groups inside our park are amazing,” Rogers said. “Once we have the pool part done, it's just going to put us over the top.”

The $140,000 grant is just one more chunk of money that will help complete the project to renovate EDCO Pool.

The authority also received two community Development Block Grants worth a combined $212,000 in 2015 and 2016 to address issues with federal accessibility standards in the pool, Caldwell said.

A $300,000 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant received in January also is contributing to pool upgrades.

The community also has raised about $63,000 for the pool from fundraisers and direct donations, Caldwell said, so the goal of reaching $80,000 to match grant funds is near.

“The community has been raising funds non-stop,” she said.

Lee Dyer, Evans City Borough council president, said the grant is a credit to the authority board and community that worked hard to demonstrate the need for the pool work.

“We're extremely pleased,” he said. “This is really going to be a great boost for that pool.”

Caldwell said authority board has been working closely with the Butler County Parks and Recreation Department on the project and expects to have design plans for the pool in early spring. Renovations may begin in fall 2018, right after the pool closes for the season, and be complete by the 2019 season, she said.

“We're excited,” Caldwell said. “I'm ecstatic. It's been a long process …. We're really looking forward to updating and renovating the pool area so it's here for another 25 years for the kids and the community to use.”