City to stop operating the Shoreline Pool in September 2021

City will not operate Shoreline Pool after summer 2021

From the City of Shoreline

The Shoreline Pool needs significant repairs, maintenance, and upgrades to keep it operational. 

After years of providing emergency fixes to keep the aging facility open, the City has come to the difficult decision to set a date when the City will no longer operate the Shoreline Pool.

The City anticipates that it will no longer operate the Shoreline Pool after the summer of 2021, approximately 18 months from now. The City is seeking interest from other entities in operating the pool after the summer of 2021.

King County constructed the Shoreline Pool in 1971 as part of the Forward Thrust Bond program. In 2021 it will be 50-years old. An assessment made in 2013 showed the pool needed significant health and safety upgrades and other major maintenance to keep it operational.

In 2015, the City Council made the decision to invest $750,000 in several mid-term repairs to extend the life of the pool for another five to seven years. At the time, the contractor had to conduct a nationwide search to find some of the parts needed for the repairs as the parts are no longer made for the pool’s outdated equipment.

Continuing to apply temporary fixes in the future will not be feasible as more of the pool structure and equipment begin to fail. In 2019, the City spent over $100,000 in maintenance and emergency repairs at the Pool.

Some of the issues that need to be addressed would likely require the demolition of the existing pool and reconstruction using new construction methods. This would include addressing the underlying plumbing and tanks that circulate water and heat the pool, along with addressing the seismic integrity of the concrete masonry blocks that make up the foundation and walls of the facility.

The City placed a bond measure on the November 2019 ballot asking voters to fund a new Aquatic, Recreation and Community Center. Although the measure received a majority “Yes” vote (54%) it did not receive the required 60% “Yes” vote to pass.

The cost of a new facility was a significant concern for many residents. Many people asked the City to look at ways to collaborate with other agencies or private organizations to help bring down those costs. Over the next few years, we will look at several options for a new facility, including collaborating with other organizations in a joint venture. 

We hope to bring forward some type of proposal for a new aquatic facility to Shoreline voters by 2024.

The Shoreline Pool is a popular facility used by the Shoreline and regional community. We appreciate that it is an important community resource and closure will cause disruption to those who use it. 

Unfortunately, the facility has reached the end of its useful life. Instead of continuing to make costly emergency repairs to a facility with significant repair needs, we have made the decision to create some certainty by setting a date in which the City will no longer operate the current pool.