Ribbon cutting held for new Ross Park concession stand

On Tuesday, The Ross Park Aquatic Complex celebrated the opening of its new concession stand with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new structure, which opened June 8, allows more food from the nearby Ross Park Drive In to be served at the complex, including favorites like burgers, fries and spaghetti tacos.

The city had been partnered with the drive in for several years but hadn’t been able to offer as many items from their menu until now.

John Banks, the city’s public works director, said the city had felt a need for a new stand for several years.

“It was pretty apparent that that old building was deficient in a lot of ways,” Banks said.

The new stand is more than triple the size of the original, vastly increasing the cooking capabilities.

“We have a full Type 1 hood at this facility which allows us to do fried foods, grill burgers and that type of thing,” Banks said.

The hope is that the new menu items and increased capacity will send more hungry customers to the stand.

The old concession stand is now available for the public to rent out for parties and special events. It has a kitchen area with counter space and a private picnic area that can seat 40 people.