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New Budlong Pool: Cranston DPW sets public meeting on ways to recognize its history
The new Budlong Pool in Cranston will soon (but never soon enough) open (2025) with a tip of its hat to the past, to the work and workers of the WPA, to history, and to historic preservation. The Budlong Pool, located at 198 Aqueduct Road, off Reservoir Avenue is the city’s only outdoor public pool. Bigger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool by 96 feet, the pool was built in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration project. The pool was closed in 2019 after an architect’s report stated that the pool was “close to the end of its serviceable life”. During the pandemic years, the pool stayed closed without renovations, and when it came time to reopen the pool, it was deemed after several professional reviews to be beyond repair, and in need of a new design to address the way people use a public pool in contemporary times.
As many public projects go, the Budlong Pool has become the focal point of political rivalries and rabble-rousing in the community. One group wants the pool “fixed” or rebuilt to look exactly as it was, regardless of more than 50% over the cost of a somewhat smaller, ADA compliant with sloped entrances, more contemporary pool with lap lanes and a shaded center area. Currently the pool has no ADA accessible entrances, and is in full sun with a small sitting area inside a rusted chainlink fence. The pool house is full of mold and in a bad state of disrepair. The new plans call for renovating and enlarging the pool house while keeping the historic facade.
The length of an Olympic sized pool is 164 feet. The length of the “old” Budlong Pool is 260 feet. The proposed length of the “new” pool would be, depending upon design between 83 and 90 feet.
The depth of the “new” pool will slope to accommodate disability access, down to a 5-6 foot depth.
How many people?
An Olympic sized pool can accommodate 440 people at any one time. The “old” Budlong Pool can accommodate 1,240 people at any one time. The “new” Budlong Pool will accommodate 500 people at any one time.
One proposal from a City Council member, Councilor Bob Ferri, now a candidate for Mayor, was to make a plain, rectangular pool as big as you can for the amount of money you have. So, dimensions and design are still fluid, based on deconstructing the existing pool and reconstructing the new pool. It is unclear if renovations of the clubhouse are included and what the costs are, separately.
Preserving History – Meeting set by Cranston DPW
The re-do of the pool required an opinion on its historical nature and possible preservation. Information was sent to the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC), which resulted in a letter to the city – see below. In that letter the Commission agreed that the pool can’t be retained as it is, but something should be incorporated to commemorate its unique and historical significance.
Key parts of the letter:“Based upon our review of the provided information, the RIHPHC concurs that the retention of the current pool or the replacement in-kind is neither prudent nor feasible – therefore, the adverse effect cannot be avoided. The City proposes to mitigate the adverse effect through (1) preserving the exterior of the pool house, (2) adding appropriate signage to the pool house, (3) demarcating the boundary of the historic pool through granite markers at the corners, and (4) installing educational interpretive displays to “relay images of the former pool and stats” on site.“
Public Meeting Notice – Budlong Pool Historic Consultation
The Cranston Department of Public Works is hosting a public meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 1070 Cranston St, the Senior Services Department, from 5PM to 7PM.
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s section 106 process, the City welcomes members of the public to express their ideas on how best to recognize and honor the historic nature of the Budlong Pool in the Pool House Renovation project.
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The pool study done by the Federal Hill Group Architects in 2022:
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In 2023, Mayor Hopkins presented a report at the 18th meeting before the Cranston community. It was done with consultation with Weston and Sampson, Saccoccio and Associates, and others:
At the meeting, several members of the audience spoke and there was a lively Q&A and ZOOM opportunity with professionals from Weston and Sampson and Saccoccio present.
View the entire meeting, here:
Here is Mayor Hopkins presentation:
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To review stories done by RINewsToday on the Budlong Pool go to:
https://rinewstoday.com/?s=budlong+pool
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…The size of Budlong Pool is not that of “ 2 Olympic sized pools”. Check the dimensions and please run a correction or retraction. Also, the mayor has previously held only 1 public meeting about the pool with the community and that was on 9/6/23. Your article implies that there have been 18 public meetings related to it because you didn’t clarify your comment.
Susan – some clarification was made. There have been 19 public meetings – most of which were called by Cranston’s City Council. No definitive design has been confirmed, that will depend on budget and what can be built within those guidelines, taking into consideration the new ADA requirements, accommodations, and the destruction of the existing pool.