Children from the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and the Davidson Community Center broke out their best swimwear on Thursday, June 24, for Van Cortlandt Park’s “Cool Pool” reopening.

 

The kids joined NYC Parks’ commissioner, Mitchell J. Silver, and Bronx Parks’ commissioner, Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, for the first splash of the summer season. Reflecting on the big jump into the pool, Kingsbridge Heights Community Center student, Anisah Gamble, said, “It was scary, and then fun!”

 

Meanwhile, Janissa Francisco, a staff member at the center, said it felt great to be back at the pool for the summer. “It’s really nice that they opened this up after being closed for so long,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to be out here. As long as the kids are enjoying it, then I’m enjoying it.”

 

The pool reopening was also attended by Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) and District 11 Council Member, Eric Dinowitz, the latter retaining his seat in the recent June primary election. Both joined Silver and Rodriguez-Rosa in making a few remarks before Silver later jumped into the pool with the kids.

 

The reopening marked the first time Van Cortlandt Pool has opened its gates since the start of the pandemic. The four officials used the occasion to welcome the community back to the pool after the long hiatus, and explained the upgrades and changes that have been made to the facility during the off season.

 

During its hiatus, the pool has been transformed into a “cool pool,” an NYC Parks’ initiative that was started in 2018 to revamp public city pools that had not been upgraded in a long time. “This is not just a pool. It’s a place, a destination you can spend the entire day,” said Silver. “I have to tell you, jumping into the pool is one of my favorite events. It’s going to be a little bit colder this year, but that’s okay.”

During his speech, Silver, who was honored for his work later that day at a separate Lawn Party hosted by Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, thanked everyone who worked at the park for making it the facility that it is. “Through the darkest days, you’ve been incredible,” he said. “You’ve come to work as essential workers. Our parks are essential. Therefore, you are essential. So, I just want to thank you so much for coming to work, starting back in March, the lockdown, until this very day,” Silver said.

 

The commissioner later gave a shout-out to the pool’s lifeguards and reminded people not to get in the water when there is no lifeguard on duty. He also reminded caregivers to keep children away from the water when they are unattended, even when there are lifeguards on duty.

 

During the event, Silver also acknowledged the death of a Parks’ employee, José Columbus, who had been a longtime lifeguard at Van Cortlandt Park pool. He spoke about Columbus’ contributions to the park’s community and asked attendees to hold a moment of silence to honor him.

 

Each of the speakers said what they loved about Van Cortlandt Park and what it means to the community. Jeffrey Dinowitz said the park and pool were part of the lives of thousands of local families and gave these families a place to enjoy themselves in the summer.

 

“I’m very proud that we have this in our community. So, I just want to say ‘thank you’ to everybody who keeps this pool great, keeps it beautiful, keeps it running, makes sure everybody is safe,” the assemblyman said.

 

All NYC cool pools have been repainted with summer-themed wall art, and have been provided with poolside lounge chairs, cabana-style shade structures and newly planted greenery. The pools also offer free poolside activities such as sports, games, arts and crafts and fitness classes.

 

Van Cortlandt Pool was one of three other pools which are new to the ranks of cool pools across the city. A total of 16 cool pools received much needed renovations and upgrades as part of the program.

 

Rodriguez-Rosa said the transformation is amazing. “It’s taken a whole host of people to make this happen, and as it was said before by the council member, it’s important for you to be able to take care of the parks in the City of New York. So, please help us maintain our parks, and we’re here for you,” she said. “We want you to enjoy the pool. We want you to enjoy the parks, so welcome.”

According to officials, the cool pool renovations were completed by both in-house staff and contractors. The Van Cortlandt Pool renovations cost approximately $250,000, excluding staff time allocated to the preparation and oversight of the improvements at the site.

 

Meanwhile, Silver confirmed that Van Cortlandt’s pool will be open at full capacity for the summer, which is good news for the two million people who visit NYC’s outdoor pools each summer season. Van Cortlandt’s main pool holds 682 people, and the capacity of the wading pool is 92. The pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a break in the afternoon from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for cleaning.

 

The pool officially opened on Saturday, June 26, and will remain open until September 12. Mask wearing is required when entering the facility and social distancing is still being encouraged. Free sunscreen is also provided.