As summer gets rolling, local families are eagerly looking forward to sunny days spent at the pool. To keep the community informed, Albany Parks & Recreation recently shared an important update regarding the seasonal opening of the beloved COOL! Pool at Swanson Park.
To ensure the facility is safe, beautiful, and ready for crowds, the city’s Facilities Maintenance team has been hard at work all spring completing a massive list of repairs and restorations.
Major Upgrades Happening Behind the Scenes
Maintaining a 20-year-old facility is a huge task, and crews have been tackling a variety of essential projects, including:
- Patching cracks and holes in the plaster
- Replacing tiles along the pool’s edges
- Installing a brand-new boiler
- Replacing pool lights
- Patching and waxing the water slides
The Weather Factor and a Long-Term Solution
The trickiest part about working on an outdoor pool of this scale is timing. The majority of major resurfacing work has to be squeezed into a tight window between the end of spring rains and the official start of summer.
Unfortunately, recent rain in the forecast has thrown a wrench into the schedule.
This year, the city is applying a specialized epoxy paint to the surface of the pool. This upgrade will drastically reduce the amount of maintenance required for the 20-year-old plaster during future off-seasons, preventing the need for repetitive plaster repairs year after year. However, because epoxy application requires completely dry conditions, the upcoming rainy weather means this crucial step has to be pushed out.
Mark Your Calendars for June 26th!
Because of this weather-related schedule shift, the official opening date for the COOL! Pool has been moved to Friday, June 26th.
While the delay is unfortunate, the long-term benefits will keep the pool in fantastic shape for seasons to come. The maintenance teams are working hard to cross the finish line, and they can’t wait to share another incredible, safe summer with Albany families starting later this month!
