LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- City leaders announced Tuesday that repairs and upgrades to Louisville's Algonquin Park are expected to be complete in spring 2025.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said free public Wi-Fi is being installed in the park — with five access points expected to be in place by the end of this week — as part of the Connected Parks Initiative.
Plans for Algonquin Park include a family slide, a lily pad bridge, a zero-depth entry ramp, a climbing wall and a vortex. The city provided renderings of how the park will look.
"Algonquin Park is essential to our city — especially west Louisville — and we are committed to making sure it has world-class amenities for families to enjoy," Greenberg said.
The pool opened in 1968 and hasn't had any significant investment in quite some time. It was recently closed last summer for building improvements.
In December 2023, Louisville Metro Council voted in favor of Greenberg's pan to redirect $20 million in American Rescue Plan funding for Louisville parks and libraries. More than $9 million of that funding is for renovations of both the Camp Taylor and Algonquin pools. It is estimated that renovations for both pools will cost a combined $11.5 million, but that budget has not been finalized.
"For far too long, promises have been made to the Algonquin community," Metro Councilman Phillip Baker, D-6, said Tuesday. "Today, one of those promises is coming true. The Algonquin Pool will be amongst the best pools in the city. The Algonquin community fought hard, and our neighbors deserve this."
Families in west Louisville had rallied for an indoor pool so the neighborhood kids would have a place to swim year-round, but city leaders have since said that that was not an option.
"Individuals and families in West Louisville need affordable year-round options for fitness," Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins, D-1, said Tuesday. "That's why I'm still advocating for a protective enclosure to ensure residents can enjoy swimming all year long."
Last summer, Metro Louisville joined forces with the YMCA of Greater Louisville, Kentucky Kingdom and TARC to provide summer activity passes and memberships to families in West Louisville impacted by the Algonquin pool closure.
Related Stories:
- Community invited to weigh in on improvements to Louisville pools during series of August meetings
- Families calling on city to build an indoor pool in Algonquin neighborhood
- Algonquin Pool closures leaves Louisville families searching for alternatives
- As Memorial Day weekend approaches, Louisville Metro is set to open just three public pools
- Algonquin Pool closing for repairs, leaving fewer public pools open in Louisville Metro this summer
- With some city pools remaining closed during 2021 season, swimmers ask Louisville to address inequity
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