Summertime and the livin’ is easy by the pool

You know its summer when pools begin to open. In Fort Worth, one refurbished pool will be opening and a new pool will come on line, with the opening set for May 25. A grand-re-opening for the Forest Park pool will take place May 25 at 10 a.m., while the opening of the new Marine Park Aquatic Center will occur at noon the same day. A public/private partnership led to the reopening of the city’s oldest public pool. Forest Park Pool, that opened in 1922, but was closed at the end of the summer of 2010 due to dwindling resources and high maintenance costs. The Radler Foundation agreed to donate the large majority of the cost required to reopen Forest Park pool, with the city matching a percentage of the donation to complete renovations. Forest Park Pool is located at 2212 Forest Park Blvd. 

The new Marine Park Aquatics Center replaces a pool built in 1926. At the end of the last swim season, the pool was demolished, and the city allocated $3.85 million to build an aquatic center at the park to open this summer. Marine Park Aquatics Center is located at 303 N.W. 20th St. While pools and other swimming areas are opening the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth is working with Fort Worth Drowning Prevent Coalition to introduce water safety classes for children and parents. In addition, for the fourth consecutive summer, the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth is once again opening four of its outdoor pools to Fort Worth residents. Beginning Saturday, June 8, the four YMCA locations open as part of the collaborative Community Swim Program with the City of Fort Worth are: • Eastside YMCA, 1500 Sandy Lane, 76112 • E.R. Van Zandt Southwest YMCA, 4750 Barwick Drive, 76132 • McDonald Community YMCA, 2400 East Berry Street, 76105 – closed on Sunday* • Westside YMCA, 8201 Calmont Avenue, 76116 “The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth is very pleased to be hosting our fourth year of the community swim partnership with the city of Fort Worth. Each year, we have seen more than 3,000 over the course of the summer,” said Tony Shuman, president/CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. “This important public/private partnership directly supports the Y’s three areas of focus – youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.” City of Fort Worth residents will be able to access these four YMCA swimming pools from 2 to 4 p.m., June 8 (the first Saturday after FWISD classes break for vacation) through August 17 daily – except at the McDonald Community YMCA, which is honoring its long-standing tradition of being closed on Sunday.* No membership dues are required. Daily admission prices are $1 for children 17 and under and $2 for adults.