Fort Worth pool demolitions show need for aquatic centers

Major budget constraints in 2009 forced the Fort Worth City Council to make some rather drastic cuts, including closing public swimming pools.

Six pools were closed that year, and in 2010 the city’s oldest and largest pool in Forest Park was shut down.

Forest Park, with the aid of a private donor, was reopened last year after a $830,000 renovation that included an Olympic-size pool and diving well, wading area and added disability access.

The Marine Park Pool on the city’s north side was demolished in 2012 and replaced with a $3.2 million aquatic center that has a multi-use pool, water slide, play features and kiddie pool.

Five pools remained shuttered and, because they were in disrepair, were not likely to be fixed and reopened. Yet the public was demanding more water recreational facilities.

The Parks and Community Services Advisory Board, after a consultant’s study, recommended building five aquatic centers around the city over a 10-year period, at a cost of about $4 million each. The facilities would have amenities similar to the Marine Park center.

The City Council included that proposal in a revised aquatic master plan in 2012 and, over the objection some members, went along with the staff recommendation that the other closed pools should be demolished.

On a 7-1 vote last week, the council approved moving forward on demolition of the five pools: Sylvania Park, built in 1936; Sycamore Park, built in 1926; Lake Como Park, built in 1957; Kellis Park, built in 1960; and Hillside Park, built in 1960.

It’s hard to argue with that decision, because repairing the facilities would cost millions of dollars. Empty swimming pools present safety hazards and liabilities, and they damage the aesthetics of the surrounding parks.

But having made that commitment for demolition, the council owes it to those communities to figure out a way to move forward on the proposed aquatic centers.

Because the water facilities were not included in the $292 million bond issue approved last May, the city will have to come up with a creative way to find the $20 million needed.

This story was originally published December 11, 2014 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Fort Worth pool demolitions show need for aquatic centers."