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“ARTful” opening of Davey Lopes Pool launches Providence water park, pool schedule
by Nancy Thomas
Providence Recreation Department announces summer 2022 water park and pool schedule
Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, members of the Providence City Council, local legislators and community members and artists joined together yesterday for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the Davey Lopes Recreation Center Pool and announce the summer 2022 Providence water park and pool schedule.
“It is essential that we invest in the neighborhood spaces that bring our community together,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “The Davey Lopes Recreation Center Pool is an important neighborhood institution, and it is exciting to bring it back to life in time for the summer with renewed swimming facilities and new public art.”
The Davey Lopes Recreation Center Pool temporarily closed in 2021 to undergo compliance and construction repairs, which are now complete and maintain a deep end in the pool. Additional renovations to the Davey Lopes Recreation Center Pool include a refinished pool surface, painted lanes and pool signage, renovated drainage and new benches, as well as the installation of public art.
“I am beyond thrilled that this vital part of Ward 11 is back open to the families of my community,“ said Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris. “While closing the pool was a challenge and unfortunate, today signifies a victory for the south side. This beautifully reconstructed and modern recreation center will provide endless summer fun.”
“I would like to congratulate the City for its investment in making the Davey Lopes Recreation Center’s Pool safe for our children,” said State Representative Grace Diaz. “The renovation of the pool is so important to all communities to foster healthy physical activities to increase children’s emotional and social skills. We know that the Davey Lopes Recreation Center is an iconic center for all, and by making these upgrades, the City is impacting residents today and future generations to come.”
In collaboration with the Department of Public Property and Department of Recreation, the City’s Department of Art, Culture + Tourism (ACT) brought in six RI-based muralists to design and execute accompanying parachute cloth murals at Davey Lopes. Through a week-long workshop with guest artists Amber Art & Design of Philadelphia, RI-based artists Tamara Diaz, Michael Ezzell, Angela Gonzalez (AGONZA), Nora Rabbins, Joel Rosario Tapia (TAPIA) and Ysanel Torres (YSANEL) created six separate murals with Davey Lopes Recreation youth, staff, and families. The murals ultimately aim to complement the use and enjoyment of the newly refurbished pool.
“ACT Public Art centers collaborative opportunities, especially when we can include art in improved public spaces,” said Gina Rodriguez-Drix, Deputy Director of Art, Culture + Tourism. “I want to thank our City partners, Amber Art and Design, our Providence youth collaborators, and our amazing local artists for creating a space that will be enjoyed by many for years to come.”
Additionally, the City announced that all Providence water parks will open for the season on Monday, June 27 and all Providence public pools will open for the season on Tuesday, July 5. Water parks will be closed on Monday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. During July and August, Providence water parks and pools will be open Monday through Saturday from 12:00PM to 5:00PM.
“I am excited to see public recreational opportunities expand for our youth with the renovations being completed for the pool,” said State Senator Tiara Mack. “Although these improvements are long overdue, I am excited to witness the positive impact this will have on the community and our youth.”
Providence water parks are located throughout the City. Water park locations include:
- Al Carrington Water Park at Richardson Park, 64 Richardson Street, (Corner of Richardson Street & Prairie Avenue)
- Billy Taylor Water Park, 124 Camp Street, (Off Cypress Street)
- Sackett Street Water Park, 110 Sackett Street, (Across from Sackett Street Recreation Center)
- Harriet & Sayles Water Park, 375 Sayles Street, (Corner of Harriet & Sayles Streets)
- General Street Water Park, 11 West Drive, (Off Admiral Street)
- George West Water Park, 1266 Chalkstone Avenue, (Corner of Chalkstone & Mt Pleasant Ave)
- Fargnoli Water Park, 945 Smith Street, (Close to Academy Ave)
- Fox Point Water Park – at Cabral Park, 505 Wickenden Street, (Next to Vartan Gregorian School)
- A. Vincent Igliozzi Recreation Center Water Park, 675 Plainfield Street, (Near Killingly Street)
- Wallace Street Park, 1 Wallace Street
- Pastore Park, Corner of Knight Street and Tell Street
- Joslin Recreation Center, 17 Hyatt Street
- Chad Brown Water Park, Chad Brown Street
The City of Providence Recreation Department maintains five outdoor swimming pools:
- Davey Lopes Recreation Center Pool, 227 Dudley Street
- McGrane Pool at West End Recreation Center, 404 Dexter Street
- Al Magno Pool at Neutaconkanut Recreation Center, 675 Plainfield Street
- Selim Madelin Rogers Recreation Center Pool, 60 Camden Avenue
- Zuccolo Recreation Center Pool, 18 Gesler Street
“This glorious and exciting day is the perfect reason and season for us all to celebrate the reopening of the Davey Lopes pool,” said State Representative Anastasia Williams.
The $566,575 Davey Lopes project is part of the City’s coordinated Capital Infrastructure Investments. Progress and project updates on Providence’s infrastructure projects are documented on the City’s newly launched Infrastructure Project Dashboard, which can be found at providenceri.gov/infrastructure. The Providence Infrastructure Project Dashboard makes it more transparent and accessible for Providence residents to track ongoing infrastructure projects citywide. The new online dashboard provides information about recently completed, ongoing and planned construction projects throughout the city.
For additional information on water parks and pools, residents should visit the Providence Recreation Pool and Water Park website, or contact the Mayor’s Center for City Services by dialing 3-1-1 or by using the PVD311 app available for download on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
RINewsToday featured details about the 6 murals – see our story, here: