Century-Old Fort Worth Swimming Pool Set To Be Demolished And Replaced
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Swimmers soaked up the sun for the end of the season on Labor Day, and possibly the end of an era at an historic Fort Worth pool.
The Forest Park Pool, originally built in 1922, is scheduled to be demolished and replaced with an aquatic center.
With infrastructure that could fail at any time, there's no guarantee it will reopen in 2022 ahead of construction.
"I think it's disappointing," said Evie Thiebaue, who came to the pool with her family Monday for one last swim. "I mean all the memories that we've had."
With diving boards, and Olympic-length swimming lanes the pool's current design is unique in the region.
The new design would include lap lanes but about half the size of the current pool.
The $7.5 million cost of the pool would be included as part of a bond referendum voters will likely decide on next May.
There has been some interest in a public-private partnership that would include a larger training facility, but the city says funding would have to be in place by February to keep design and construction on schedule for a 2024 reopening.
A meeting with the parks and recreation department to talk about the plan is scheduled for Sept. 16.