Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
On June 18, 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue celebrated the launch of the Let’s Swim NYC program. The program provides citizens throughout the five boroughs with improved access to pools to protect them against the summer heat, and to offer New Yorkers the opportunity to learn about water safety.
The Let’s Swim NYC initiative will fund 39 existing New York City public pools, including two new indoor pools, and renovating three pools. With over $1 billion in investments, the Let’s Swim NYC initiative is the largest capital investment into swimming infrastructure that the city has made since the 1970s.
Some of the changes made possible by the initiative include a new mini pool to be built in the Bronx’s Edenwald Playground; Manhattan’s John Jay and Sheltering Arms Pools will receive new benches, fencing, concrete pool decks, ADA-accessible ramps, and plant greenery to provide shade; and Staten Island’s West Brighton Pool will be remodeled after the NYC Parks Department Cool Pools initiative. Other changes include utility and HVAC upgrades at Highbridge and Jackie Robinson Pools in Manhattan, Betsy Head Pool in Brooklyn, and Lyons Pool in Staten Island to make sure these pools can continue to function smoothly.
Astoria Pool in Queens will reopen after renovations worth approximately $19 million. The renovations include modernized heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems, electrical equipment, filtration and chemical treatment systems, lighting, and a new pool shell deck implementation at Astoria Pool.
New York City’s public outdoor pools will reopen for the season on June 27th. The city’s public indoor pools are open year-round. For more information about local pools, click here.
Mayor Eric Adams stated, “New York City’s pools and beaches are incredible places for New Yorkers to come together, learn to swim, and beat the heat — and as climate change makes heat waves like this week’s more common and more severe, the need for pools has never been greater, We’re making a splash with our billion-dollar investment over five years, which will open up more, better pools in all five boroughs for working-class New Yorkers to freely use. That’s how we make New York City a more livable place for everyone lucky enough to call the greatest city in the world home.”
Parks Commissioner Donoghue stated, “But public pools are more than a luxury — they’re a vital public resource that promotes public health and makes our communities safer from extreme heat. With these ambitious projects amounting to more than $1 billion, we’re proud to be part of an administration that is investing in our public pool network to ensure all New Yorkers can access the safe, well-maintained public spaces they deserve.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)