EVANS CITY — Volunteers and contractors are putting the finishing touches on the pool at EDCO Park in preparation for a soft opening Friday.

The opening will be at 3 p.m. Attendees will be able to swim although some landscaping might still be under way.

“They'll be able to go into the pool and swim,” EDCO Park Director Cindy Caldwell said.

Monday saw painters applying the last of a new coat of blue on the concession building and crews installing final amenities and cleaning pool surfaces in preparation for the event.

“I think they're getting ready to put our diving board in,” Caldwell said.

On Tuesday, painters completed the interior and residents arrived to help put in the sod around the deck.

The renovation has been a long time in the making, with residents working tirelessly to raise and donate time and money to the project.

While the pool is opening this week, work is not finished as the board now turns its attention to the next phase of the improvement project.

This phase includes the installation of more amenities and improvements. Much of this may be determined by available grant funding and the success of fundraising efforts.

Friday's soft opening will anticipate a main event later in the summer, during which the pool will be rededicated. The official rededication ceremony is slated for early August to commemorate the renovations as well as the anniversary of the pool in Evans City.

“We're planning the rededication of the pool on the original date it opened, which is Aug. 1,” Caldwell said. That was more than 30 years ago in 1987, she added.

For more information or to connect with EDCO Park, find it on Facebook or visit its website at www.edcopark.com.