The Cressona Pool won’t be reopening this year and based on the discussion at Monday’s Borough Council meeting, the chances of it opening in 2027 seem slim.
Last summer, the public swimming pool in Cressona never opened after a particularly harsh winter caused the structure of it to heave, causing serious damage.
When faced with the reality of trying to come up with more than $200,000 to repair the pool, Borough officials used the time without a pool to think longer term and launched a capital campaign last November to attempt to raise $1.2 million to create a “pool for the ages” that would go beyond just repairing what is a nearly 70-year-old facility.
But to create that $1.2 million pool complex, it needs to start with a feasibility study. And that cost, alone, is about $40,000, officials say. Borough funds are tight and on Monday, council members pondered the possibility of applying for a grant from the state’s Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to offset half of that.
Council did not come to a conclusion on whether to apply for the grant. They’re likely going to come to a final decision on that at a special meeting in a few weeks. The deadline to apply is April 30. Whether they do or not, it sets back the schedule on renovating the pool complex.
If the Borough does apply for the grant, it won’t know if it wins an award until the Fall. And work on the feasibility study won’t be able to start until 2027. When that’s completed, the Borough will then be faced with the real challenge of coming up with the $1.2 million to actually construct its new pool facility. While there is an active capital campaign to raise money for a new pool, at least some of the cash will have to come in the form of more grants from DCNR.
Council President Linda Walinsky said Monday that one caveat of taking DCNR money for pool construction is that the project can’t get underway until Cressona has the money to complete it. That could take several rounds of grant awards, if the Borough is fortunate enough to get them.
“When you apply for pool funds, you need to have money to finish the pool,” she said.
BACK STORY: Here is our complete coverage of the Cressona Pool closing, beginning when Coal Region Canary broke the news that it likely wouldn’t be opening for the 2025 season …
- Public Swimming Pool in Cressona in Danger of Not Opening in 2025
- Cressona Pool Won’t Open in 2025
- Cressona Provides Update on Public Swimming Pool
- Cressona Launching $1.2 Million Capital Campaign to Rebuild Public Swimming Pool
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...