GLENWOOD, Iowa (KMTV) — The Glenwood aquatic center has been dogged by problems since it opened in 2016. This year, the city won't open the pool due to leaks and the risk of more damage.
- City Administrator Mitch Kolf said an engineering firm found several issues, but the biggest one: the type of dirt used under the pool expands in freezing temperatures, shifting the pool by two inches.
- Business owner Mary Ford was on the citizen advisory board when the aquatic center was built: "From an economic development standpoint, from a small business owner standpoint, this is a necessary thing to have in our community."
- Southwest Iowa Transportation Agency (SWITA) plans to run buses twice a week to the Malvern pool from Glenwood.
- ALSO WATCH | ‘Yay! It’s gonna open': Shenandoah pool to reopen amid long-term water worries
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY HERE
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's going to be a bummer of a summer for a lot of Glenwood kids because this pool is gonna remain locked.
I'm Southwest Iowa Neighborhood Reporter Katrina Markel and I'm in Glenwood because a series of engineering problems at the Aquatic Center might mean a massive repair bill for the city.
The Glenwood Aquatic Center opened in 2016, replacing a much older public pool that closed about a decade before. Almost from the start, there were flaws. Sometimes it opened late or closed early for the season.
"In 2022 it also didn't open at all," said City Administrator Mitch Kolf.
He tells me an engineering firm found several issues, but the biggest one: the type of dirt used under the pool expands in freezing temperatures, shifting the pool by two inches.
"Their recommendation for the best fix was to completely tear out the pool vessel and replace five feet of soil," Kolf said.
But that could cost $10 million, so the city is looking for a more affordable fix — and hiring lawyers.
Business owner Mary Ford was on the citizen advisory board when the aquatic center was built.
"From an economic development standpoint, from a small business owner standpoint, this is a necessary thing to have in our community," said Ford.
One short-term solution, so kids can at least swim this summer: SWITA plans on running buses twice a week to the Malvern pool.
