Cuscaden Pool Likely to Remain Closed for Summer

Children likely won’t be cooling off in the historic Cuscaden public swimming pool in the V.M. Ybor neighborhood, which will likely remain closed for the second summer in a row.

The 74-year-old pool has “further issues” and an evaluation is expected to be complete in July, parks and recreation director Karen Palus told city council members today in an update on the city’s closed public pools.

The other two closed pools are Roy Jenkins on Davis Islands and Williams Pool in East Tampa.

Councilman Frank Reddick was disappointed in the news about Cuscaden and Williams pools.

“Those children don’t have the same opportunities to swim as other children,” he said of the young people in those neighborhoods. “They don’t have access to transportation to other pools.”

Despite $3 million in renovations completed in 2005, the above-ground Cuscaden pool has been plagued by problems with leaks.

“It’s an historic pool, and it has a lot of construction issues,” Palus said.

Council members expressed their concern for children with nowhere to cool off and nothing to do this summer.

“Nothing is better than body and mind than staying busy in the summer,” said Councilman Charlie Miranda. “Parks and recreation has saved a lot of lives (by keeping children busy). I speak from my own experience.”