Old Pools Close To Make Way For New Ones

SPOKANE — Local pools have begun closing for the summer, shutting down earlier than usual to allow for construction on new ones.

That means that area residents looking to jump in a pool will soon be out of luck. Cannon Pool closed August 2nd, Hillyard and Comstock pools close August 16th and Liberty and Whitter pools close on the 23rd.

Ginny Barrett has been swimming at Comstock Pool since she was little – it’s where she learned how to swim – and is sad to see it change.

“I don’t know if spending the money on digging this one out is the right way to spend that money,” she said.

Andrea Stosich also spends a lot of time at Comstock Pool. She doesn’t mind a new pool being built but doesn’t understand why the city picked the beginning of the hottest month in the summer to shut it down.

“We are so enjoying the summer and having it be not very long and then getting cut off from activities that’s just the sad part,” she said.

Comstock, which is an antique, having been built in 1937, is getting a complete makeover with a new pool and new water features like slides and water guns. The downside to getting the pools destroyed and then rebuilt in time for next summer is they have to be closed earlier than usual this summer.

“You’ve got to close them sometime and we are trying to do everything we can to make sure six brand new pools open next summer,” Nancy Goodspeed with the City of Spokane said.

The city is investing $28 Million to rebuild the pools which it hopes to have open in time for next summer.

As for places to cool off once the city pools close, the Spokane County Aquatic Centers will remain open until September 1st.