Pulaski pool closed for construction this summer, city provides alternate plans
The pool at Pulaski Park in the City of Poughkeepsie will close this summer due to construction work on a new $2.4 million pool house at the site.
To alleviate impacts of closing a municipal pool over the summer, the city says it's working to extend swim hours at its other pool at Spratt Park, is arranging for free bus service twice a week from Pulaski to Spratt and will utilize the pool at Poughkeepsie Middle School for swim lessons.
Pulaski's old pool house was demolished and the city is using American Rescue Plan Act funds for the cost of its replacement. Included in the project are a men's room, women's room, family bathrooms, lifeguard room, office welcome desk, storage and a kitchen.
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The bus service from Pulaski to Spratt and back will run on Tuesday and Thursdays, beginning July 7. The route will not be making additional stops. Bus transportation service will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from Pulaski Park to the Spratt Park Pool site at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with return trips at 2:30 and 6 p.m.
Spratt Park Pool will be open with fees waived, with expanded hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. The first two hours will be for lap swimming for adults and competitive level swimmers, with open recreational swimming beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing until closing time.
There is also a fixed-route bus service requiring a fare that has stops at Pulaski Park, the Transit Hub on Market Street, and the corner of Hooker Avenue and Wilbur Boulevard, which is about a half-mile walk from the Spratt Park Pool.
The Poughkeepsie City School District agreed to let the city use the middle school pool on College Avenue for designated lap hours and for swimming lessons. The middle school pool will be used predominantly for lessons between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday through mid-August. Lesson sign-up sheets will be available at both the middle school and Spratt Park.
The city will provide the lifeguard staff and any necessary pool treatment chemicals, and also will be purchasing an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant lift for installation at the middle school pool.
The middle school pool also will be available for adult swimming from 1-2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The city will be able to use the middle school pool until Aug. 16, after which it will be closed for maintenance and upkeep and then reopen for students and athletic teams before school begins. Spratt Park's pool will remain open until Aug. 25.
"This level of cooperation is simply outstanding, and we thank both our school district and Dutchess County partners for stepping up to help us provide creative solutions for the benefit of all city residents," Nelson said in a statement issued by his office. "We know how important our public pools are to city residents, and we believe we have found a solid solution while we make long-term improvements at Pulaski."
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Pulaski pool to close, city provides busing, other plans
