By Debbie Adams
It’s the end of an era in Vinton–demolition of the Vinton Municipal Pool to make way for a
multi-generational park located on the hillside behind the Vinton War Memorial. The new park
will feature playgrounds, pickleball courts, a boulder wall, a picnic shelter, and more.
The pool was built in the late 1940’s and remained open for almost 70 years—leaving a lot of
memories for local citizens who grew up taking swimming lessons and spending their summer
afternoons lounging poolside.
The Vinton Municipal Pool was located on the Vinton War Memorial complex, funded by local
organizations such as the Lions Club, other groups, and the Town of Vinton. It closed at the end of the summer of 2015 when it became too expensive to repair, operate, and
maintain.
Town Council had voted to close the pool about five years earlier, but volunteers and donations
from local churches and organizations kept the pool going for a time until those efforts dropped
off due to the expenses incurred and difficulty in scheduling volunteers.
At the time the pool closed, town council was facing a bill of $10,000 just to repaint the inside of
the pool to prevent peeling of the paint, not to mention the high costs of modernizing the
equipment and financing liability insurance.
Because the pool meant so much to citizens, town council sought proposals from private
enterprises and organizations to reopen the pool in 2016—to no avail. Sadly, the pool has sat
abandoned and unused in the years since.
In July 2023, Vinton’s Associate Planner, Fayula Gordon, made a presentation to Town Council
on a grant she had applied for, and the town was awarded, from the Virginia Outdoor Foundation (VOF) Open Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund Grant in the amount of $218,295, to be used to build a multi-generational park.
In the grant application, the project area is described as “the blighted pool site.” The town plans
to “transform the underutilized space and rejuvenate the area.” This aligns with one of the town’s
long-term goals of “enhancing the town’s infrastructure and livability, promoting a healthy,
active lifestyle for the residents.”
Preliminary renderings indicate the park will include activities for all ages – from infants to
seniors. Plans include a playground, a picnic shelter, and a planting and seating wall, along with
pickleball courts, a half basketball court, a boulder wall, and more.
In addition to the VOF grant, the town has money set aside in the Capital Improvements Project
funds for the multi-generational park with hopes to attract more partners and additional funding
to bring the project to fruition.
The work on the park will be completed in phases. Phase 1 of the project is now underway with
site preparation, demolition work, and filling (closing) the existing pool.
The town must meet certain grant requirements from the VOF, including undergoing subdivision
with five acres being designated as open-space land. Substantial components of the park are to be
completed by July 2025.
Contractor Lee Lovern is doing the demolition work on the pool.
The demolition has brought back fond memories for many who grew up in Vinton and
questions/comments ranging from cheers to jeers on social media about why the pool closed,
sometimes not realizing this was not a recent event. Some have suggestions and requests for
splash pads and skate parks to be included. Possibly the best response for the pool closing came
from a citizen who noted that nearly 10 years ago the pool had become a “money pit” for the
town and “it’s time to move on to something new.”
