A rendering of Grandview Heights Municipal Pool's renovation
Swimming Through the Ages
Jumping into the bright blue water cannonball-style, or enjoying the warm summer sun while listening to the splashing and laughing of fellow pool-goers, is most likely a pleasant memory for most. Swimming pools create memories, mark milestones for children and bring communities together, especially in Grandview Heights.
After a grand renovation, the Grandview Heights Municipal Pool will offer a larger facility with more amenities and a touch of history. Prior to the newest renovation the city had a smaller, outdated pool, and before that, it was nothing more a manmade pond.
Sean Robey, director of the parks and recreation department, has been with Grandview for 37 years and says the first pool was built in 1921. Near Dublin Road, a small volunteer group filled a gravel pit with water, hauled in sand to create an artificial beach and built a tiny changing room. Locals soon began calling the small leisure pool the Watering Hole.
After 10 years though, the pool was closed down. Robey says there were two causes for the closing: Upper Arlington built an in-ground pool and, unfortunately, two young men died while swimming in the Watering Hole. After the tragic event, Grandview started thinking in the direction of an in-ground pool as well.
An aerial view of Grandview Heights Municipal Pool's construction
Soon after, in 1932, a private pool was opened by the Grandview Swimming Pool Company (a company no longer in operation). At the time, the square swimming pool was the largest pool in Columbus at 150 feet by 75 feet. The complex also included a stylish pool building featuring a classic red clay tile roof.
By 1977, the pool had fallen into disrepair. The city purchased the pool for $150,000, rebuilt just the swimming pool and updated the pool building. The L-shaped pool lasted until 2016, when Grandview began its biggest municipal swimming pool renovation to date.
“Our residents designed this pool,” says Robey. “We had, all in all, seven public meetings, which were very well attended … so we added some things that were important to our residents.”
The new facility will have more than 300 extra square feet of water area, a leisure pool with a beach-like entrance, a hot-pool, eight lap lanes and a separate diving well to accommodate local teams, two waterslides, and a community house that can be rented out for events. Some of the past will be preserved, though; residents involved in the public meetings have decided to keep the red clay tiles for the new rotunda entrance.
“A lot of people in Grandview appreciate tradition and history and really liked the old pool building,” says Robey. “So it seemed liked a natural idea to pay homage … by having the same style roof and using some of the original tiles.”
The new municipal pool will open Memorial Day weekend with a ribbon ceremony, refreshments and a tour of the new facility on May 26 at 6:30 p.m. The following day, Grandview will kick of the official start of the swimming season with a “Big Splash.”
“I am excited that I had the opportunity to be here … to be involved in something the community cares so much about,” says Robey. “It was clearly a team effort, and the team includes the residence. I and my staff are here to help residents have fun and be healthy.”
A rendering of First Avenue Park
Celebrating the Newest Green Space
This spring, Grandview Heights has expanded their green lawns and will be hosting a celebratory city event to dedicate the new First Avenue Park.
The park was acquired when Grandview Yard offered a total of about four acres of green space to the City of Grandview. The First Avenue Park is only a section of the four acres, at approximately 2.5 acres. Robey calls the new park a “pocket park” due to its street-enclosed location and smaller size.
Included in the new design are ramps, a large field space and the option of closing parts of Yard Street for vendors and including additional green space located across the street.
“The community needs and wants civic space,” says Robey, adding that the new park will complement city events, such as the dedication, nicely.
The park dedication will be held May 6 from 1-3 p.m. All community members, families and friends are encouraged to come out for refreshments, bounce houses, music performed by students from Grandview Heights and activities for all ages.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will precede the festivities.
For more information, visit www.grandviewheights.org
Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
