After weeks of preparation, the IMPE outdoor pool will open to students May 5 in anticipation of the warm weather.

“We started probably at the beginning of April,” said Steve Jukes, the assistant director of aquatics. “Facilities and services came and cleaned up the pool for us and cleaned up the pool deck.”

The furniture is stored inside during the winter and the University comes to clean the pool deck and shelf. Preparation for the pool for its opening takes two to three weeks, including a couple of days to get the pool cleaned and heated.

Once the pool is open, however, Jukes said he does not expect very many people to use it immediately. The amount of people using the pool depends on the season.

“The end of the school year is very hit and miss,” Jukes said. “If students have finals we won’t be very busy.”

But if students choose to spend the Reading Day in the water, Jukes said there would be plenty of room for swimmers.

“We can fit about a hundred people in the pool area,” he said.

The busiest season is typically when students return from summer vacation and the week before classes start is usually very busy, Jukes said.

Earlier this month, the CRCE pool opened as well, but it is closed while finishing touches are being made on it and is schedule to open Saturday.

Being a leisure pool, the CRCE pool will detract customers from using the IMPE pool, Jukes said.

“We have a dedicated clientele of lap swimmers,” he said. “CRCE is a different kind of pool.”

Jasmine Davis, sophomore in LAS, is a lifeguard at the CRCE pool. Since it has been closed, she works at the IMPE indoor pool, which is more intended for lap swimmers and also for aquatic teams such as swimming, synchronized swimming and underwater hockey.

“Many people use rafts and such in the outdoor pool whereas the indoor pool is completely full of lap swimmers,” she said regarding the indoor pool’s possible loss in customers once the outdoor pool is open.

The common view is that people who want to tan or spend their time out in the sun will make the outdoor pool a regular destination.

Shardai Shelton, freshman in engineering, agreed with this idea.

“I’d go to the outdoor pool because I’d go to get a tan,” she said.

Rachel Herbert, freshman in engineering, hadn’t visited the IMPE outdoor pool since the Fresh Start night that was held for freshmen during the first week of school.

“It’d be really cool if they had kayaking like they had on Illini First Night,” she said.