Grand Forks City Council debates Riverside Pool

Oct. 9—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks City Council received updates about the Riverside Pool at its Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night.

The 80-plus-year-old pool needs $4 million to $5 million in renovations due to plumbing and concrete issues with the basin. Those funds likely could come from either flood protection or grant opportunities through the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department. The earliest any major repair projects would occur is 2026.

Riverside Pool was built in 1941 as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program, a major part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that supplied jobs during the Great Depression. The pool saw $1.3 million in improvements done in 2008. Approximately $131,000 in repair and upkeep has been done since 2016.

The last time Riverside Pool renovations came up for discussion was in February 2022

. At that time Council President Dana Sande said the city might consider an alternative location for a northside pool, given the flood-prone nature of the current location.

The pool is located outside of the flood protection system. In 2008, neighbors voted to save the pool after construction of levees.

The pool is operated by the Grand Forks Parks District, but owned by the city, like many recreational facilities. It costs approximately $30,000 a year to operate.

Design and community input will occur over the next year. Complete repairs would close the pool for about a year.

If flood protection funds are used, that fund has about $7 million in it currently. It can be used for projects related to the Greenway and flood protection system. Regardless, maintaining the pool is a priority for the council.

"I'd like a commitment that this remains a priority," said Council Vice President Bret Weber. "The community voted to save it; it's Grand Forks' pool."

In other news, the council:

* Discussed a potential moratorium on new billboards in the city while the city works through potential code changes with how the city deals with billboards.

*

Received and discussed public infrastructure improvements

about the Epitome Energy Soybean Processing plant project on the north side of Grand Forks.

* Reviewed the agreement with Grand Forks County Correctional Center, as the per diem rates are increasing next year.