The Sheldon Swimming and Fitness Center will open next week after more than a year of construction, Eugene announced.
The 55-year-old facility in the Cal Young neighborhood closed in late spring 2021 for expansion and renovations and will reopen Monday, Sept. 26, the city announced in a news release. The renovated facility, which is adjacent to Sheldon High School and connects to the Sheldon Community Center, will include a new indoor therapy pool, a spa and an expanded indoor pool, along with locker room improvements, interior finishes and pool equipment.
“We are thrilled to finally unveil Sheldon Pool to the public,” said Craig Smith, Director of Recreation Services in a statement released Monday. “The unique warm water pool and running channel provide a multi-use program space that meets the needs of fitness, recreation and swimming lessons.”
The renovation of Sheldon Pool creates opportunities that don’t exist at the city’s other pools, Smith said.
Sheldon is the city’s oldest pool and was previously closed in 2010 for a seismic upgrade and in 2012 to repair a serious leak, according to an August release, but the full renovation, completed in a year, ensures above that the pool will “meet the growing needs of the community. as an integral part of the water program throughout the city.”
The project cost $10.1 million, with funding coming from the parks bond and levy passed in May 2018.
A number of delays, including supply chain issues and staffing problems, pushed the pool’s opening from early spring of this year to the fall, and the city acknowledged that the extended closure of one of three the city pool. an announcement reads.
“We were disappointed by the delays that prevented the pool from opening earlier,” Smith said in a statement, “but we did not want to open a pool that was not safe or ready for use.”
For more information about the 2018 Parks and Recreation Bond and Levy and other projects funded through the measure, visit eugparksandrec.org.
Contact city government guardian Megan Banta at mbanta@registerguard.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1.