Design Underway For Public Pool Replacement Project In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — After a few hiccups with Old Town Pool's maintenance over the summer, the design phase for a pool replacement is moving forward.

The City of Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities is leading the project to replace the public pool and bathhouse at 1609 Cameron Street. Planning dates back to 2012 when the city's Aquatic Facilities Study recommended a new pool to replace the current aging pool. The city's Capital Improvement Program will fund the project.

"We appreciate the community’s flexibility and patience throughout this summer as we managed and communicated the closures and maintenance repairs," said Hashim Taylor, director of the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities. "As the pool turned 50 this year, we are looking forward to a better future by initiating and completing major repairs and improvements, ensuring consistent service and operations for the community in the near future."

Old Town Pool, which opened in 1975, was closed for several dates in June to address the pool's ongoing filtration issues. The city had said maintaining regular operations during the pool season has been challenging due to the pool's aging infrastructure.

According to the city's website, the replacement project's design phase is expected to run from June 2025 to Fall 2026. Construction could run from winter or spring 2027 to spring and summer 2028, with substantial completion in summer 2028. The City of Alexandria has two other outdoor pools — Memorial Pool and Warwick Pool — and two indoors pools — Chinquapin Park Recreation Center and Aquatics Facility and Minnie Howard Aquatic Facility.

The Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities will hold a meeting on the Old Town Pool Renovation Project on Tuesday, September 16, at 7 p.m. at the Oswald Durant Center (1605 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA). City staff will give a project update and share the proposed design for the pool and bathhouse. Residents may provide feedback at the meeting.