City officials expect to reopen Riverfront Park and the new splash pad at the Art Park at Catfish Row sometime in August, South Ward Alderman Alex Monsour said.

Monsour, who is over the city’s recreation department, said officials are waiting on several items to be completed before reopening Riverfront Park and opening the splash pad.

He said officials are waiting on parts for the playground equipment at Riverfront Park from Jeffcoat Fencing, which installed it. The parts, he said, include a stabilizer bar and a chain that hooks to the bottom of one of the pieces on the set to stabilize it.

“It’s a safety issue with the kids, and we just can’t open it without that being done,” he said.

He said officials are also waiting on a fence that will screen a section of the splash pad from a nearby building and rock to put on some areas of dirt adjacent to the splash pad. Both are expected to be delivered sometime this week he said.

“Basically that’s it, and the cleanup (by the contractor),” he said. “The only thing left is to install the fence and do some minor things.”

Monsour said in early July he wants to have the water coming from the splash pad synchronized to music, adding he wants the pad to provide a water and light show after it opens. He plans to have a “dress rehearsal” to make sure everything is operating before opening the pad with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Both Riverfront Park and the splash pad were closed late 2017 because of problems. The original splash pad, which was a popular summer attraction for 15 years, was demolished because of waterline and pump problems.

Riverfront Park was closed to repair a slide area and install new playground equipment and a new surface on the play areas.

Repairs at the park were delayed after oil believed left over from a former oil storage tank farm was discovered at the site, forcing the project to be shut down for several months until the oil and the remnants of old slabs and a retaining wall on site were removed.