LAFAYETTE, La. — As temperatures rise, many residents anticipate cooling off with a refreshing swim. However, not everyone has access to a pool.
The good news for the community is that a public pool will soon open after being closed for 6 years.
The public pool at Girard Park is expected to open on May 22. After years of standing empty, the pool has been cleaned and is currently being filled with water.
Girard Park goer Glenn Delahoussaye expressed his excitement and gratitude towards the current administration and the Lafayette Parks & Recreation Department for their efforts in the reopening.
"Not everyone has access to a pool in their backyard," Delahoussaye says. "Our young people today need to get off the devices and need to get out into some physical activities, whether it's swimming, whether it's tennis, whether it's running. We have a beautiful park here in Girard Park, and I applaud them [LCG] for bringing everything up to speed so that our young people can have an opportunity to participate and get healthy."
According to PARC officials, the last time it was opened was during the 2019 swim season, but following the 2020 pandemic and costly repairs, it's been closed since.
However, the pool is finally ready to make a comeback. For other neighbors, the thought of the pool providing local swimming lessons is a great idea.
"It's life-saving," William Stevenson, another parkgoer, tells KATC.
"Swimming is second nature to me. I swam in the military and on my high school swim team, so this is the perfect place, at the perfect time, to have a perfect pool," he says.
The pool at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center is also set to open on May 22.
LCG stated that more details regarding pool hours and rules will be announced before the grand reopening at Girard Park.
For those seeking summer employment, the Lafayette Consolidated Government is currently searching for seasonal lifeguards and pool managers. Interested individuals can click here.
