Pico Rivera's Smith Park pool to stay closed all summer

Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona speaks on Smith Park pool's closure

There is a big effort underway to reopen the only public pool open in Pico Rivera for the summer.

PICO RIVERA, Calif. - There is a big effort underway to reopen the only public pool in Pico Rivera for the summer.

Smith Park pool was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and could not reopen as scheduled last month because of costly repairs. Three of the eight burners in the boiler system are operational, which are needed to maintain the pool at a safe temperature.

The 424,000-gallon swimming pool was built as an athletic training facility for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

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Since then, generations of families in and around the Pico Rivera area have flocked to the pool. The facility hosts swimming lessons for kids, senior swim hours, and serves as a training pool for the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s search and rescue team.

Smith Park pool to stay closed all summer in Pico Rivera

As the heat rises in Southern California, a community pool with sentimental value remains closed in Pico Rivera. FOX 11’s Bob DeCastro reports.

The city estimates it will cost about $800,00 to repair the boiler, which would enable the pool to temporarily reopen.

In the long term, more repairs need to be completed on the pool coping, plaster, filters, expansion joints, and public facilities, which add up to an estimated $10 million.

Pico Rivera city leaders are hoping someone comes forward with funds to help out. They are also appealing to the state for grant money.