Fort Worth Residents Concerned About Plans To Replace Nearly 100-Year-Old Forest Park Pool

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Since 1922, the historic Forest Park Pool has been a focal point for so many Fort Worth families.

"As a kid I used to come here," Bruce Payne said.

He's been visiting since 1954.

"I learned to swim out here," he said. "There was nothing better than going to the pool in the summer time. We'd just come out here and swim all day long."

"I started coming with my family back in the 60s when it was a round pool and I remember my dad diving off the diving board in the middle of the pool," Carol Standerfer said. "It was so much fun."

The pool has been through multiple renovations over the years, but the City of Fort Worth said the infrastructure is so old that systems could fail at any time and repairs would just be a temporary Band-Aid.

"The city of Fort Worth is planning on calling a bond election in May of 2022. Included in that would be to fund two new swimming pools," City of Fort Worth Parks and Recreation Director Richard Zavala said.

It's estimated to cost $7.5 million and while plans are still being worked out it, right now the Forest Park plan would include four 25 yard lap lanes, a leisure pool, large slide and water features for kids.

This is a reduction from the current 8-lap lanes that are 50 meters long.

"Four lanes it's just not enough to bring in a number from the city for recreational use," Standerfer said.

Thursday night, Sept. 16, city officials listened to concerns.

"I love this pool and there's no reason that a town like Fort Worth can't have a pool at least this big," Payne said.

He's even willing to pay private memberships to keep it in its current state.

"I would do that in a heartbeat," he said.