URBANA — Hoping to enhance their Crystal Lake Park aquatic center project, Urbana parks officials are looking into encouraging private donations with everything from donor plaques to naming rights on individual pools.

Park board members reviewed the idea at a study session Tuesday, according to park board President Michael Walker.

Construction of the $7 million-plus project won't begin until next spring, but the aquatic center's size and features will be dependent on grant applications and private fundraising.

"Given some of the things we've encountered regarding the utilities and some other stuff, we have some challenges getting the whole program in there with the budget we have," said Walker. "So some individual donations would really help the entire project."

In recent weeks park district officials learned they'd have to install a more-expensive water filter system because of the aged sanitary sewers in the north Urbana neighborhood. That expense cut into the $7 million in bond funds available for the project. And a planned feature for teenagers was ruled out by the state Department of Public Health; a replacement amenity is being considered.

Walker said the appeal for private donations "would be a fairly low-key thing, but we're going to want to get the information out there that the quality of the pool project could be improved if we get some donations.

"This is not going to be an all-stops-out, calling people sort of thing, but we have had some citizens express interest in what they might be able to contribute to."

The details of the donation program will be firmed up over the next couple of months, at the same time the park board is completing the design process, Walker said. That process will determine what kind of features and amenities will be incorporated into the aquatic center.

"Obviously it would be wonderful if we had a donor step up and want to give a half-million dollars. It could have a strong impact on the project and make sure we get everything done that we want to," Walker said. "But there are a lot of nice things that could happen in the $10,000 to $20,000 range too. It's not that we have a goal to go out and raise a half million dollars. I don't think that's realistic.

"But, boy, someone could go out and make, for lack of a batter term, a big splash with that. I'm not sure there's anyone around who could donate that kind of money, but there's some neat stuff that could happen with an extra $50,000 or $100,000."

One approach under consideration is to follow the park district policy that says a facility will be named for an individual or organization if 50 percent or more of the value of an improvement or purchase is donated. For any of the planned pools at the aquatic center — including a competitive pool, a plunge pool and upper and lower leisure pools — a donation of about $500,000 would secure naming rights, according to a staff proposal park board members reviewed Tuesday.

"We're figuring those individual tanks are all about a million dollars each so that to name one would be a half million dollars," Walker said. "Again, I don't think there's any thought that there's someone out there who is dying to do that. On the other hand we'd sure hate to miss the opportunity."