A proposal to completely replace the Old Town Pool and bathhouse and make landscape improvements is heading to the Alexandria Planning Commission.
On Tuesday, May 5, the Planning Commission will weigh in on the proposal by the city’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities to completely renovate the pool facility, to fully renovate the pool facility, which has not had a major update since it opened in 1975. The meeting follows a unanimous recommendation from the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, which endorsed the project in a letter to City Council.
“Old Town Pool has not had a major renovation since 1975 and is overdue for these improvements,” Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Dana Robert Colarulli and member Joseph Fray wrote in the letter. “As proposed, the new design provides new functionality, efficiency in space and use of needed equipment, and more shade!”
The city proposes replacing the 7,400-square-foot pool with an 8,000-square-foot, eight-lane, 25-meter lap pool and dive well, along with a family pool area, spray features and accommodations for a climbing wall, basketball hoop and volleyball nets.
“The new pool area adds 3,754 square feet of shaded deck area, for a total of 12,680 square feet,” city staff said in a report. “The overall bather load will increase from 278 to 284 swimmers to increase needed capacity for the pool site.”
The city’s proposal includes:
- Rebuilding the current 8-lane, competition length lap pool and integrated dive well
- New zero-entry family pool with spray features and shade structure
- Increased deck space with shading and storage, including a flexible event space
- New larger bath house with gendered and universal changing rooms, spaces for check-in, first-aid and a lifeguard station
- Increased seating and improved entrance plaza
- Enhanced stormwater management through the use of bio-retention areas that comply with the City’s Green Building policy for 100% treatment through green infrastructure
- Preservation and enhancement of park open space, preserving larger shade trees and planting new trees and landscaping
City staff said the project was previously funded for $3.3 million in capital funds and that an additional $9.3 million is being proposed in the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Improvement Program.
“This funding will be combined with prior year funding and used for construction and construction administration,” city staff reported.
The project will go to City Council on May 16 for approval following the Planning Commission’s recommendation. The city anticipates construction starting in early 2027, completing in time for the summer 2028 pool season.
Arlington-based RRMM Architects is the project designer and engineer.
