Sacramento Southside Park pool repairs to begin, but opening date yet to be announced

Nearly two years after the closure of Southside Park Pool, the Sacramento City Council this week approved a construction contract to begin renovations in June. 

City staff anticipate reopening the pool this summer and will announce an opening date as soon as they can confirm it, said Gabby Miller, a spokesperson for the Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment Department. 

Sacramento closed the facility, the only public pool in the central city, in summer 2022 after swimmers reported rashes. City staff eventually discovered the fiberglass finish needed to be replaced and estimated it would take a couple of years to gather about $1 million from park fees to repair it. In June of last year, the city announced it could reopen the pool in 2024 thanks to state funding designated by Assembly member Kevin McCarty covering half of the estimated cost. 

Alex Zucco, president of the board of the Southside Park Neighborhood Association, said in a statement that the community is disappointed access to the pool will be limited for the third summer in a row. The city’s other 12 pools are set to open by June 15, according to the city’s website. About 39% of residents living in the area where Southside Park Pool is located live at or below the poverty level, according to the California Healthy Places Index. 

“The words used by many on the council and city claim this is a “top priority” – and none of the actions have shown this to be true,” Zucco said in a statement. 

The city began inviting construction bids in April, according to a city staff report. But city staff started working toward the renovation when funding was secured, Miller said in an email. 

“In order to issue the bid for the pool resurfacing, design work had to be completed first for the project to produce plans, and that work was contracted out through a consulting company specializing in pool design,” Miller said in an email. “The plans were delivered later than anticipated and city staff issued the bid as quickly as possible once the plans were received.”  

Council member Katie Valenzuela represents the area where the pool is located. When the council approved the nearly $600,000 renovation contract on Tuesday, Valenzuela thanked city staff and said she’s excited for the pool to open later this summer. 

“I know you all are working as hard as you can and there are some out there who are saying we're dragging our feet, but this is a big job,” Valenzuela said during the meeting. “It's happening really quickly.”

Miller said the Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment Department is looking to continue collaborating with Valenzuela’s office to offer Southside Park residents passes for other city pools. Staff aim to hold a free reopening weekend once renovations are completed, she added.