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The city of Alexandria will host a community meeting on March 5 to update residents on plans to replace the Old Town Pool and bathhouse, a $12.5 million project that would close the facility for up to two summers during construction, the city announced Wednesday.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Oswald Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St. City staff from the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities will present the latest design and construction timeline and take questions from the public, according to the press release.
The project calls for a complete replacement of the existing pool and bathhouse at 1609 Cameron St., which was built in 1975. The current bathhouse has been found to be out of code compliance, and the pump room is described as dated. The existing facility has a bather load of 250 and includes a 6,400-square-foot competition pool and a 900-square-foot family pool, according to a presentation delivered at a September community meeting.
The new complex would feature an 8-lane, 25-meter lap pool with a dive well, a zero-entry family pool with spray features, and a redesigned bathhouse with universal changing rooms, updated mechanical systems, shaded areas, and flexible event space. The bather load would increase to 286, and deck space would expand from roughly 8,900 square feet to more than 12,600 square feet, the September presentation showed.
Planning dates to 2012, when the city's Aquatic Facilities Study identified the need to replace aging infrastructure. The project is funded through the city's Capital Improvement Program.
The city has tapped architecture and engineering firm RRMM to lead design services, which are expected to run through winter 2026. Contractor procurement is slated for fall 2026 through spring 2027, with construction running from spring 2027 through fall 2028. The pool could be closed for up to two full summers — 2027 and 2028 — according to the September presentation, which noted that staff is exploring options to accelerate the timeline.
The March 5 meeting is the latest in a series of public engagement sessions on the project. The city held an initial community meeting on Sept. 16 at the Oswald Durant Center and followed with a Park & Recreation Commission update on Sept. 18 at the Lee Center.
Residents can find more information at alexandriava.gov/parks/project/old-town-pool-replacement.
Those requiring disability accommodations may contact Jack Browand at jack.browand@alexandriava.gov or 703-746-5504. Free interpretation and translation services are available by emailing LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or calling 703-746-3960.
