BELLEFONTE — After years of planning, fundraising and uncertainty, the Kepler Pool project is moving forward with renewed momentum and a full show of support from the municipalities it serves.
For leaders of the Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority, the effort represents more than construction. It represents restoring a place that once helped shape the social fabric of the Bellefonte area.
The pool, built in the early 1970s by local business leaders and borough officials, has not seen significant upgrades in decades. In recent years it began losing “significant amounts of water every day,” Vice Chair Cindy Kunes said. That forced the pool to close at the end of 2020. Fundraising for repairs had already been underway, but the shutdown underscored the urgency. “It was in dire need of some refurbishment,” Kunes said.
The authority, created in 2013 to provide ownership, oversight and fundraising for the pool, received a major boost this fall: a $1.475 million state-awarded grant. But to secure it, the authority had to match the funds, and after a previously anticipated grant fell through, it left a gap of just over $398,000. Municipal leaders advised them to come back with a specific ask, and the authority did just that, dividing the shortfall among the four participating municipalities using a population-based fair-share formula.
All participating municipalities — Spring Township, Benner Township, Walker Township and Bellefonte Borough — have now agreed to the pledge, with Walker Township agreeing to pledge toward the project on Dec. 12. That final pledge allows the authority to move forward without risking the loss of existing grants.
“We needed the pledges to ensure that we could move forward and not lose the grant money,” Kunes said. “What we said to them is as part of this pledge, if you will commit these funds over a three-year period to help us meet the gap on our match, then we would in turn reduce that pledge by any additional grants that we were able to secure for phase one over that period of time.”
Once fully executed, bid documents will be completed, with construction planned for 2026 and reopening in 2027.
The project includes three phases: a $2.9 million overhaul of the main pool and systems; a second phase featuring a 1.6 million children’s area with a wading pool and splash pad; and a third phase for a new bathhouse.
For authority member Melissa Sieg, who grew up swimming at Kepler Pool, the project is deeply personal.
“Swimming is a sport and a life skill that people can enjoy pretty much all their lives,” Sieg said. “Drowning remains the number one cause of death for children ages 1 through 4. Having a pool like this gives people a place to learn that life skill.”
Sieg emphasized the broad community value as well: a place for kids to gather, families to connect and residents to stay active.
“Not everyone can go running or jogging. Being in a pool and swimming a few laps can do wonders for physical fitness,” Sieg said.
Both Sieg and Kunes noted that Kepler Pool will be a public facility open to anyone, offering recreational opportunities and a place for community members to gather for social events. Sieg said a community of Bellefonte’s size benefits greatly from amenities that bring people together. Kunes agreed, calling the pool a contributor to “the interconnected network of relationships” that strengthens a community.
“We really want the public to understand the positive benefits for this pool and that it will reach broad numbers of people should they decide to use it,” Kunes said.
If all goes as planned, the community will have that chance again by 2027.
