Back in 2008, New York City officials commissioned a pool worth $67 million as part of the Big Apple’s unsuccessful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
Now, that pool is falling apart.
Located at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center, what was supposed to be “at least six weeks” for an emergency roof repair nearly three years ago remains off-limits to the public. The Department of Parks and Recreation justifies the delay “due to needed repairs to the movable floor.”
In a City Council oversight hearing last December, officials said it would reopen by January or February 2022. But nearly a year on, the pool remains closed despite the roof finally being repaired — and it’s due to the unique movable floor, designed to move up and down to accommodate diving and swimming.
Construction work on the floor began in September, but according to the Parks Department website, the reconstruction tracker shows the $500,000 project is only 10% complete.
What’s more, Parks Spokesperson Dan Kastanis told The City the department plans to reopen the pool around January 2023, before closing it again for 12 to 18 months starting in the summer of 2024 for a complete reconstruction of its roof along with its HVAC and dehumidification systems.
“We are committed to reopening this beloved facility to the community,” Kastanis told The Post in a statement. “We never close facilities unless absolutely necessary, and these repairs are essential — they must be done to ensure everyone’s safety for future use.”
“Once the pool’s floor project is completed, we plan to reopen the facility to the public until roof construction begins summer in 2024.”
According to Kastanis the additional renovations and reconstruction will cost over $11 million
This has left many New Yorkers wondering if the resources used could’ve been better spent somewhere else.
“I honestly don’t know what the city is doing with anything,” Alex Smith, who has lived in Williamsburg for the past five years told The Post. “But if you’re telling me they spent nearly $70 million on a pool that has been closed for years due to issues, it’s no wonder the subways are a disaster.”