Fircrest’s new community pool will open in June
A new community pool in Fircrest is slated to have its grand opening sometime this June.
The project is the first phase in a two-part project for Fircrest’s new community center.
“We’re very excited to be about a year ahead of schedule, thanks to outstanding results with our fundraising efforts,” Fircrest Mayor Hunter George said in an email.
Construction of the pool remains underway after beginning in August 2019.
The 25-yard pool will have six lap lanes, a diving board and a whirlpool area, with a separate kiddie pool. A new bathhouse also is being constructed, with locker rooms and a party room/kitchen for rent.
The pool will be open to both Fircrest residents and non-Fircrest residents. A fee amount has not yet been determined.
The second phase of the project — construction of a 15,000-square-foot community center building — is expected to go out to bid this summer, with construction starting some time in the fall and opening the following year in 2021.
City staff are working on finishing design touches and are holding a public meeting to share updates on Thursday.
“We’re not at 100% design, but we’re getting close, and we want to make sure the community has a chance to see the details before we finalize the design and go out to bid this summer,” George said in an email.
The community building will consist of various activity rooms, a kitchen and gym with space spaces for weddings, business rentals and other events. The center also will serve as a community emergency shelter.
On-site parking for the project will reduce from 21 to 15 stalls, but will increase by 16 on-street parking for a combined total of 62 stalls, according to the city’s website.
The project replaces the Roy H. Murphy Center and Pool, which was built in the 1960s and has reached the end of its lifespan. The city can no longer find parts to repair the pool, which still leaks, despite thousands of dollars spent trying to fix it.
Fircrest voters overwhelmingly passed a $13.5 million parks bond measure at 79 percent approval in April 2019. The bond in part pays for a new community center, pool and various parks improvements.
The measure estimated an additional tax rate of 68 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or $272 a year for a $400,000 home, which pays for 75 percent of construction costs for the new community center and pool.
Fircrest has also raised approximately $8.5 million through donations and grants. The Names family, through three affiliated foundations, has pledged $4.15 million, and the William and Joyce Edwards Foundation has pledged $2 million.
More information
What: Fircrest Community Center and Pool Public Meeting
When: 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20
Where: Fircrest Community Center, 555 Contra Costa Avenue, Fircrest
More information: 253-564-8177, cityoffircrest.net
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 12:00 AM.
