Penn Park Pool slated for opening summer 2023

Construction continues for improvements to the pool located within Lee Penn Park, and city of Waxahachie executive director of parks and leisure services Gumaro Martinez says they hope to open the pool in summer 2023.

“We’ve been experiencing the same labor pains that everybody else has with supply chain issues and COVID related issues, and you name it, we’ve had every possible scenario happen with this project,” Martinez told the Sun. “However, we’ve realigned what’s been happening with the project and communicating with the construction company and general contractor on the project, and hopefully, we can get everything back on track and open for the next swim season.”

Construction began on the pool in October 2021.

Penn Park includes a mini sports complex with a football field, practice fields for baseball and softball, a playground and a pool. The revitalization of the pool is phase four of improvements made to the park over the last five years, making it one of the city’s “largest, most beautiful and updated” parks, Martinez said.

The original pool was placed around the 1950s, with Martinez saying it was outdated and long due for an upgrade. The old pool was trapezoid-shaped and was not quite a lap pool, but it did have a deep end with a waterslide. It did not have a “true” bathhouse, but what Martinez described as “a cinderblock building with a couple of toilets.”

“We completely demolished all that and put in a new bathhouse with showers, lockers, restrooms, and then you’re going to have office space for your pool supervisor and lifeguards,” Martinez said.

The pool has been redesigned to have three different sections, including a three-lap swimming area, a free swim area with a waterslide about 15 or 20 feet in the air and a beach entry area with various spray features for kids. Martinez described the beach entry section as a “splash pad built within a pool” and said it will have jets and water cannon and a spray umbrella.

“It’s really cool,” he said. “If you want to go exercise, you have your lap lane. If you want to have a little bit of fun, the older kids can be out here and be separate in the slide area. Then, you’ve got the little kids’ area as well, so we’re kind of serving all different age groups and purposes.”

It will also include shaded areas for those who simply want to sit by the pool.

A parking lot has been added that will be utilized for the pool and the park. Martinez said the parking lot is about 80% complete and will most likely finish before the pool.

Martinez said the pool is the only public pool owned by the city, and it is free for residents.

Originally published September 16, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/sports/penn-park-pool-slated-for-opening-summer-2023/article_1f374670-357e-11ed-8da8-6bf86ee8377a.html