Roanoke, Virginia – The Washington Park Pool, a vital part of the northwest community for almost half a century, ceased its operation in the summer of 2022. The closure was necessitated by the Roanoke’s Parks and Recreation Department’s initiative to construct a new pool.
“Our total project budget for this is $3.25 million, that is total project. So that includes the work that we’ve already done to demolish the existing pool, and then the amount that will be needed to design and then build the new pool plus any supporting entity,” Michael Clark, director of Roanoke Parks and Recreation, disclosed.
The department arranged a meeting, attended by over fifty residents, to reveal the results of a 2022 survey on their desired features in the new pool. Clark stated that while tearing down the old pool, unexpected difficulties arose.
“As we were going through that demolition process, we did a handful of test bores where they would drill down into the ground to detect whether or not there was landfill material there. And we picked a handful of different places in the upper part of the park. And unfortunately, everywhere that we did a test except for where the football field is now, showed signs of landfill material and in some cases it was very close to the surface,” Clark noted.
As a result, Clark and his team were forced to reconsider the location of the new pool.
“The place we landed on was on the corner of the park entry and Orange Avenue. And as a result, to get the size facility, we need to go where the Evans house is now, which would require tearing down the Evans House,” Clark confirmed.
The attendees, many of them from the northwest community, reflected on the historical significance of the Evans House.
“This is history, it needs to remain history, my opinion, no one else’s, mine, and restored because it can be done. My other question is why was this park so neglected until now we start discussing putting a pool in it. If you drive by Washington Park it’s the most disgraceful looking thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” a Roanoke resident, Carolyn Hubbard, said passionately.
However, despite the historical value, the majority of the attendees believed that if the pool needs to replace the house, it would serve a greater good.
”If you haven’t visited Washington Park in the summer and seen the kids come over there and use the facility, they need the pool in Washington Park more than they need to memorialize a house, believe me,” Roanoke resident Darnell Wood stated.
“The individuals who lived in that house, if they were here today, I think if we asked them, keep this house as history or have a pool for these kids over the summertime, they would pick the pool. With some type of consolation of preservation,” Roanoke resident Ryan Bell speculated.
And so, the residents decided to proceed with the pool.
This agreement signifies the demolition of the Evans House, with a commitment from Parks and Rec to commemorate the building. The $3.25 million project is now slated to commence by ensuring the environmental safety of the location and designing the pool according to the community’s preferences.
The more-than-1,500 survey responses indicated the residents’ wish for features such as a lazy river, concessions, a bigger slide, splash features, and lap lanes.
The aim is to inaugurate the pool for the 2024 summer season, but this timeline is not fixed and will depend on the finalization of the design and the pace of construction.
