STAFFING, POOL MAINTENANCE AND SPLASH GROUNDS DISCUSSED

by Chuck Hoven

   (Plain Press August 2026) The closing of Greenwood Pool was the topic residents of the South of Lorain Block Club came to discuss at a July 7^th meeting at the offices of Ohio City Incorporated. At the meeting, block club members had an opportunity to learn about repairs to and the scheduled reopening of Greenwood pool, and the difficulties faced by the City of Cleveland in staffing and maintaining its pools.

   Ward 7 City Council Representative Austin Davis, City of Cleveland Parks and Recreation Director Alexandria Nichols and City of Cleveland Director of Aquatics Jim Clark were present to share information and answer residents’ questions.

   Greenwood Park, which contains the pool, is located at W. 38^th and Siam. The South of Lorain Block Club’s territory includes the area between Lorain Avenue and the rapid tracks from W. 25^th Street to W. 47th Street.

   Parks and Recreation Department Director Nichols spoke of the goal of providing equitable service in a city that has more pools per capita than its peer cities such as Cincinnati. She noted the City of Cleveland has 10.7 pools per 100,000 residents, while Cincinnati has 7 pools per 100,000 residents. Cleveland has 19 indoor pools and 22 outdoor pools, while Cincinnati has one indoor pool and 24 outdoor pools.

   She noted some factors that led to the closure of Greenwood Pool. She sited frequent mechanical failures and a broken waterline to the pool, two other pools within proximity to the neighborhood, and the neighborhood’s closeness to the lakefront. She said the repair of the waterline is expected to be completed within three weeks, and Greenwood pool should be up and running soon.

   Another challenge is to have the personnel necessary to keep Cleveland pools open. Director of Aquatics Clark said  the City of Cleveland has a shortage of both lifeguards and aquatics managers.

   Nichols and Clark, both relatively new to the City of Cleveland Recreation Department, spoke of the challenges they faced since they began working for Cleveland. Nichols said the amount of “deferred maintenance is so much, it is unreal.” They spoke of the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan developed in 2024. Nichols said many of the pools in Cleveland were built when Cleveland had a population of well over 700,000 people. The population is now 364,000 people.

   Nichols and Clark urged patience of residents as their department works to implement changes to improve the recreation experience of Cleveland residents.

   The two focused on planning for 2027. Nichols said the City will be looking at the age of pools, their condition, and how to better serve the needs of the community when planning.

   Clark spoke of expanding the aquatics team and earlier preparation of pools and spray grounds. Clark said past decisions by the City of Cleveland make maintenance difficult. He noted spray ground equipment purchased from a variety of different manufactures makes it difficult to have spare parts on hand when they break down. He also noted the age of pools, many built in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He spoke of poor decisions made when building pools. An example he gave was the construction in the 1960s of Sunrise Pool (now Mercedes Cotner Pool) over a culvert. He said this results in damage to the pool during the winter months.

   One resident spoke of the lack of classes to teach swimming lessons, noting when pools are closed, lessons are canceled and you don’t see swimming lessons during the summer months when there is a big demand. Clark said he hoped to create a swimming culture in Cleveland and offer more lessons more often.

   Another question raised concerned pay and benefits offered to lifeguards. The answer was the City offered pay of $15.75 an hour, and benefits were available only to full-time employees.

   One woman, who said she was 8 ½ weeks pregnant, said that after learning there was no water in Greenwood Pool, she took a trip downtown to use the fountain at Public Square to cool off, only to find the fountain closed for maintenance when she got there.

   Nichols noted the City of Cleveland has a history of investing in building facilities and not maintaining them. Nearby pools and splash grounds provided an example. Fairview Park splash ground was down, while Herman Park splash ground is working. While Greenwood Pool is down, Lincoln Park Pool is open. While the pool at Zone Recreation Center is down, the new Clark Recreation Center pool is now open.

   But the lack of personnel, mean pools, even when functioning, are not open every day. For example, the schedule calls for Zone Recreation Center’s pool to be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Gunning Recreation Center to be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

   One resident, who has looked at the Parks and Recreation Department website before making a trip by foot or bus to get relieve from the heat, says she needs up to date information before setting out. She said pools and splash grounds listed as open are often closed for maintenance. Another concern expressed by residents is that pools are closed due to overcrowding after they have made a trip to the pool.

   City Council Representative Davis spoke of the City looking into the long-term capital needs of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the necessity of finding someone that knows what they are doing to keep the website up to date so residents don’t have to call the City Council person to learn if a pool or splash ground is open.

   Nichols said the goal is to have a website that will be updated each day and will list all the pools and whether they are active or inactive.

   As the discussion at the meeting included the need to close some of the City of Cleveland pools, South of Lorain Block Club Chair Tim Del Papa made a case for Greenwood Pool to stay open. He noted the number of parents and some pregnant women at the meeting. Del Papa said, “The demographics have changed. There are a lot of little kids in the neighborhood, and more on the way.”