While not in our neighborhood, many of us here in Hilltop enjoy this DPR treasure during the summer months and have attended the meetings for this project.  

MAY 2020 UPDATE ON CONGRESS PARK POOL

In an effort to promote social distancing, Denver Parks and Recreation and design team canceled the last public meeting regarding Congress Park Pool. A short 4-minute video was produced to inform the community on the how their input was integrated in to the design and timeline.  DPR believes that the design keeps much of the functions that community members wanted – 50 meter lanes, larger child’s area, while keeping much of the preservation of the character of the pool.  The project timeline is also covered in the video. With the design process ending soon, DPR expects to break ground on the pool in early 2021. Construction is expected to be complete by early 2022. View updates and see information on previous public meetings at www.denvergov.org/parkprojects. Questions on the design can be sent to [email protected].

Regarding our current COVID-19 conditions, the decision to open has not been made and DPR pools will remain closed until further notice.

Congress Park Pool was selected to be a project on the Elevate Denver Bond list, which was approved by voters in 2017. This pool is one of the city’s oldest and has grown increasingly costly to maintain, requiring extensive upgrades.

The closure of Congress Park Pool in  2021 will result in new pool and facility to serve the community starting in 2022. Built in 1955, Congress Park Pool is one of Denver’s oldest outdoor pools, and after 63 years of operation it has also become one of the city’s most costly pools to maintain. In recent years, Congress Park Pool has seen multiple opening delays due to major leaks.

Thanks to the Elevate Denver bond, this project is fully funded, and the city can begin the process of building a state-of-the-art, public swimming pool. This project is one of the first bond projects to be launched. While bond projects will continue to roll out over the next 10 years with several fund issuances, work for Congress Park Pool was identified as a priority to start in the first year.

About the Project – Download the project summary sheet (PDF)

Projected Timeline:

• Fall 2018 | Design & Construction Procurement: Request for Qualifications (RFQs) will be released for both design consultant and construction management
• Fall 2019 | Initial Geotechnical Work: The ground surrounding the current pool structure will be examined to see what types of issues have been caused over time.
• Fall 2019 | Community Outreach: The public will be invited to participate in meetings and/or surveys to help inform the design of the new facility.
  • The design process will include various means of gathering community input to ensure the Congress Park Pool remains a special and valued asset for the neighborhood. Local neighborhood organizations, schools, and community groups are encouraged to be involved.
  • Two site and pool concepts were presented at the Oct 15, 2019 community meeting and the survey is still open for you to participate.  Congress Park Pool Survey
• 2021 | Construction Begins: It’s expected to break-ground on the project sometime in 2021.

During the construction closure, there are many other indoor and outdoor public pools open to help keep you physically fit and cool during the summer. The closest outdoor pools to the Congress Park neighborhood are Mestizo-Curtis Pool and La Alma Pool.  Find the full list of pools at denvergov.org/recreation.