LAFAYETTE, La. — Summer has arrived and temperatures are rising, but with two out of the four public pools closed down, residents have fewer options to cool down.
The Girard and O.J. Mouton community pools have been closed since 2020. The ability to access a local community pool is a luxury that is no longer available to some residents.
Rebecca Elder who lives around the corner from Girard, says having access to a pool where her son Devin can learn how to swim, can be life-changing for him.
"Where we live we don't have a pool in our neighborhood and he doesn't know how to swim, so it would be an advantage to us for it to open sooner." said Elder. "So I could teach him how to swim, he always jumps in the pond cause he was autism and he's like 'water, water!'"So I know he would really enjoy it."
It is estimated that repairing both Girard and the O.J. Mouton pool will cost a hefty sum, according to the Programs and Parks Maintenance Manager, Ross Gresham.
"I'm estimating somewhere between $50 to $75,000. The O.J. Mouton pool is one of six true Olympic-sized-sized pools in the state of Louisiana. So it's got expensive issues and extreme leaks in the liner. Basically, the entire thing needs to be redone. So that one we are estimating the repairs to cost over a million dollars," said Gresham.
Elder, who remembers going to the Girad pool with her family when she was younger, is hopeful that the pool will be restored soon.
"I have a lot of memories here but it closed and you know there's not much really to do in Lafayette now. I feel like this should be a priority because it would give people a lot more stuff to do especially since COVID happened," Elder said. "Everyone is stuck in their houses and it would be something for the families to come out and enjoy and make memories like I did."
Gresham expects the Girard community pool to reopen by the summer of 2024.
To see a full list of pools and splash pads in the Lafayette area that are open click here.
