In 2008, the City of Denver commissioned Counsilman-Hunsaker to perform a Facility Audit on the swimming pools located in Congress Park. The facility consists of a 70-year-old 50-meter long-course outdoor pool and a rectangular wading pool. An opinion of probable cost for recommended repairs was compared to the cost of replacement and recommendations were offered.
In 2021, the city decided to demolish the existing pool which was built in 1955 with a new pool to serve the community. Congress Park Pool was one of Denver’s oldest outdoor pools and has also become one of the city’s most costly pools to maintain. In recent years, Congress Park Pool has seen multiple opening delays due to major leaks and required significant repairs each season.
Thanks to the Elevate Denver bond, the design and construction of a new regional park pool facility was approved to replace the outdated outdoor pool. It was included in one of the first bond projects launched intended to accommodate growth in the neighborhood and to modernize it.
The design process included various means of gathering community input ensuring that Congress Park Pool remains a special and valued asset for the neighborhood. Local neighborhood organizations, schools, and community groups were involved in the design process.
Construction consisted of a new, state-of-the-art swimming pool, bath house, and pump house in place of the existing facility that is past its useful life. A new 50-meter pool with 25-yard cross course was constructed in roughly the same location as the existing pool. A youth pool was built in a new location while the existing location was demolished.
