When the Thompson Park pool closed at the end of the 2018 season, there was a lot of uncertainty in whether or not the north-side would see a new pool built. The old Thompson Park pool is the oldest public swimming pool in Amarillo. The city closed the pool due to safety concerns with the pool and infrastructure. Now, the site that was opened in 1931, is getting a new start.

The pool has gone through three renovation projects in it's 90 years of existance. After lots of back and forth on what to do with the pool and that section of the park, the Amarillo City Council has approved $7.9 million dollars in certificates to fun a new pool. The new Thompson Park pool is tentatively scheduled to open around Memorial Day of 2021. The facility will include a lazy river (with a capacity of 220 people), cabanas and a main pool area large enough for 400 people.

Credit: City of Amarillo
Credit: City of Amarillo
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“The new Thompson Park Pool will be a modern, state-of-the-art facility,” said COA Parks and Recreation Department Director Michael Kashuba. “We really wanted and valued public input on this project – this was a major consideration. This will be a facility that the entire Amarillo area can be proud of and will want to share with their family and friends for decades to come.”

The pool project is a major investment in Amarillo north-side neighborhoods, an area which often goes overlooked. The area north of downtown houses some of the areas older neighborhoods, and while the city has grown south towards Canyon, there is not an influx of people or money coming into that area. Rebuilding the Thompson Park pool won't fix all the issues on the north part of town, but it is certainly a start to bring pride back to those neighborhoods.

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