Asheville’s Grant Center pool will reopen for July 4, city says
ASHEVILLE – The city will reopen its pool at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center on July 4, with modified hours and enhanced safety measures.
The announcement comes the day after the city said it would close the pool “until further notice” following a recent increase of “extreme behavior issues” at the Southside pool, including a child being apprehended in possession of a firearm July 1, Asheville police said.
“This swift reopening is the result of teamwork and dedication by City of Asheville staff working closely with partners at Swim Club Management Group,” according to a July 3 city news release.
“Knowing how much the community looks forward to safely celebrating the Independence Day holiday with friends, family, and neighbors was a driving factor in prioritizing this reopening.”
The management group oversees maintenance, hires staff and handles daily operations of the city’s pools.
The “enhanced security measures” include uniformed security staff that will be onsite at the Grant Center pool starting July 4 and continuing through the weekend, the release said.
The operating schedule is:
- July 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- July 5, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- July 6, 12 p.m.-6 p.m.
The Grant Center pool is the sole city owned public pool still in operation. In 2024, the city announced that West Asheville’s Malvern Hills Park pool would not reopen, citing issues with its infrastructure. East Asheville’s Recreation Park pool, which sits along the Swannanoa River, sustained heavy damage during Tropical Storm Helene and is closed.
“The safety of our community is, always has been, and always will be our most important goal,” Parks and Recreation Director D. Tyrell McGirt said in the release.
“The recent incidents presented significant safety concerns that we could not ignore. Our team worked quickly and diligently to implement immediate and long-term solutions to ensure a safe environment for everyone to enjoy the pool during this important holiday weekend and through the end of the swim season.”
The release called the temporary closure on July 2-3 a “difficult but necessary decision to ensure the safety and security of all patrons after several serious incidents compromised the safety and security of the facility.”
These incidents included individuals disregarding lifeguard instructions to the extent of requiring involvement from the Asheville Police Department, detonation of firecrackers on the pool deck and other extreme behaviors leading to people being removed.
While previous behaviors were addressed on a case-by-case basis, the incident with the firearm was “serious enough to institute a temporary closure and create new security protocols,” the release said.
This story will be updated.
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.
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