The City of Amarillo’s Park and Recreation Board has voted to recommend the closure of two public swimming pools — the Southwest and Southeast pools — citing significant deterioration, safety concerns, and costly maintenance issues. The facilities, both in operation since the late 1970s, have served local neighborhoods for decades. The recommendation will now move to the City Council, which will make the final decision.
During the board’s recent meeting, city officials presented detailed reports outlining the condition of the pools, including leaks, aging infrastructure, and outdated equipment. The discussion also included maintenance progress, recent operational improvements, and future enhancement plans for other recreational sites.
“Our job is to provide the information; it’s council’s directive to make decisions on these types of things,” said Michael Kashuba, Parks and Recreation Department director. “So we want to make sure they have the information, they have the backstory.”
Board members noted that investing additional funds into the deteriorating pools was not a sustainable option.
“The facilities are old, we don’t want to put money into facilities that we’re going to end up closing anyway,” said Tiffany Podzemny, Parks and Recreation Board chair. “I think that was the consensus on the board, but that we do feel like there needs to be another facility within the city of Amarillo that’s maybe indoor, that could be open year-round, that could get closer to cost recovery.”
According to the board, discussions about closing the pools have taken place over several years, but members hesitated because of the impact on the surrounding communities. This week’s recommendation followed a review of safety conditions, attendance trends, and repair costs.
“When they’ve looked at the numbers for both the attendees and the revenues, but also the condition,” said Kashuba. “Today we actually showed a condition of those pools and the board decided it was best to recommend the closure of those two pools.”
Along with recommending the closures, the board urged city staff to begin exploring options for new facilities, including both indoor and outdoor replacements. Such projects, board members said, could provide year-round access and be designed with long-term sustainability in mind.
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