HOT SPRINGS - Voters in Hot Springs will get the chance to decide whether the city should try to buy Evans Plunge, the warm mineral water park that is the longest operating tourist attraction in the Black Hills.

A referendum is set for March 26. The Rapid City Journal reports that it's an important vote because if the council buys the Plunge, it could keep it open as a tourist attraction that generates tourism revenue and jobs.

Private groups that have shown interest in buying the legendary spring-fed water park have indicated that they would likely close it to the public.

City Administrator Harley Lux says that petitions were circulated that ultimately gathered more than enough signatures to force the vote.

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