Bed-Stuy's Kosciuszko Pool To Open By August, Mayor Says

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Kosciuszko Pool in Bed-Stuy will open by August after city officials struck a deal to reopen some of the public pools that have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting budget woes, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this week.

The Kosciuszko Pool, found near Herbert Von King Park, is among 15 pools across the city that will open by August, thanks to an agreement between the mayor and the City Council to restore millions of dollars that the mayor had slashed from the parks department's budget as the pandemic crippled city finances.

In Brooklyn, that will include Betsy Head Pool in Brownsville and the public outdoor pool in Sunset Park.

Three pools in other parts of the city — Mullaly pool in the Bronx, Wagner pool in Manhattan and Liberty pool in Queens — will open by July 24, while the others will open on Aug. 1, de Blasio said.

Under the agreement, the parks department will spend more than $5 million to hire 716 lifeguards and millions more for other pool staffers, according to the mayor's office.

Swimming pools won't be the only way for New Yorkers to go for a dip: City beaches officially open to swimmers on Wednesday.