The Glenwood aquatic center has been plagued by issues since its inception in 2016. This year, the city will not open the pool due to leaks and the possibility of further damage.
- According to City Administrator Mitch Kolf, an engineering firm discovered several issues, the most significant of which was that the type of dirt used under the pool expands in freezing temperatures, shifting the pool by two inches.
- Mary Ford, a business owner, served on the citizen advisory board when the aquatic center was built. She stated, “From an economic development standpoint, from a small business owner standpoint, this is a necessary thing to have in our community.”
- The Southwest Iowa Transportation Agency (SWITA) intends to run buses to the Malvern pool twice a week from Glenwood.
Many Glenwood children will have a disappointing summer because this pool will remain closed.
I am Southwest Iowa Neighborhood Reporter Katrina Markel, and I am in Glenwood because a series of engineering issues at the Aquatic Center could result in a massive repair bill for the city.
The Glenwood Aquatic Center opened in 2016, replacing a much older public pool that had closed about a decade prior. Flaws existed almost from the beginning. It sometimes opened late or closed early during the season.
“In 2022, it also did not open at all,” said City Administrator Mitch Kolf.
He tells me that an engineering firm discovered several issues, the most serious of which is that the type of dirt used under the pool expands in freezing temperatures, shifting the pool by two inches.
“Their recommendation for the best fix was to completely tear out the pool vessel and replace five feet of soil,” Kolf told me.
But that could cost $10 million, so the city is looking for a less expensive solution — and hiring lawyers.
Mary Ford, a business owner, served on the citizen advisory board when the aquatic center was built.
“From an economic development standpoint, from a small business owner standpoint, this is a necessary thing to have in our community,” Ford told the crowd.
SWITA plans to run buses to the Malvern pool twice a week as a short-term solution to ensure that kids can swim this summer.