Warwick Mayor Set To Announce Opening Date For McDermott Pool

WARWICK, RI — Mayor Frank Picozzi said Thursday that within a few days, he will announce an opening date for the McDermott Pool at 975 Sandy Lane.

Picozzi talked about the swimming pool's progress during his weekly video address and said only a few things remain to be done. Chemicals need to be balanced and a leak needs to be repaired, but "it's not going to be a big deal." A spokeswoman for the mayor's office said Picozzi met with the Department of Public Works today, and that the public should expect an announcement sometime next week.

Around $150,000 has been spent on the project, Picozzi said in his weekly YouTube video.

The Mayor described why repairs took so long.

Because of the cost, he had to go to the City Council for approval, a process that added to the time frame. In addition, "very few contractors do this kind of work" and they follow their own schedules. Finally, "you can't just go to the pool store" and get certain items, Picozzi said. The specialty items needed to be ordered, and some of them took awhile to arrive.

"That's why it's taken so long, and I apologize for that," Picozzi said. "We're working as hard as we can and as fast as we can. We want to do everything right."

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The coronavirus pandemic forced the pool's closure in March of 2020. When Picozzi took office in January, it remained closed. Mechanical problems that stemmed from years of deferred maintenance meant it couldn't be re-opened. Among other things, a furnace that heats the pool was beyond repair, and the water circulation pumps were on their last legs.

The mayor said he wanted to make sure that the pool rehab project was done right.

"We are replacing everything. Once it's open, it's going to stay open," Picozzi said.