Demolition crews move in at Waterloo Pool, closed since August over a failing roof

Crews have started tearing down Waterloo Pool, KXII reported Friday, about two and a half weeks after the Denison City Council decided to remove the aging facility.

The pool has been shut since August, after an inspection on Aug. 21 by an independent engineer and the city fire marshal raised concerns about several key parts of the building. KXII reported the fire marshal found severe damage to the roof that could not be fixed.

What the city has said

In a news release on the closure, the city said Waterloo Pool was built in the 1960s with an expected life of 30 years, and its roof structure was added in 1995. Inspections in 2024 found the pool was not safe to open when winds topped 20 mph, and staff had been working under that rule since.

Early, unofficial estimates from outside engineers put the cost of fixing the problems at $7.5 million to $10 million.

Instead, the city chose removal, which it estimated in early October would cost about $250,000, paid with insurance money. Mayor Robert Crawley told KXII at the time that the entire pool would be demolished and that there were no plans yet for the site.

Where swimmers go now

Under an agreement with Austin College in Sherman, the city said pool patrons would get free use of the college's indoor pool on weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m. once the college had enough lifeguards, with Denison paying a usage fee and the added staffing cost. Swimmers must sign a waiver at the college.

The city said it would announce a start date when staffing is in place.

The optional $5 monthly pool fee some residents paid on their water bills has been suspended. A new task force is to gather community input on the future of aquatics in Denison, including whether the Waterloo site could hold a new pool.

Sources

KXII

denisontx.gov

KXII

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