ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A rebuild of the Malvern Hills Park Pool is in the planning phase, and a community survey is underway to gather ideas, preferences and potential uses for the new pool.
The city is replacing the old pool in Malvern Hills Park with a code-compliant facility that enhances community recreation opportunities and ensures accessibility for all residents.
Last year, city officials said the Malvern Hills Park Pool would not open for the summer because of problems found during the pool’s 2023 inspection. That inspection said the 90-year-old facility had reached the end of its life.
Neighborhood residents protested the end of the pool, urging the city to rebuild. Their efforts paid off when city officials identified a new aquatics facility as a priority in the Recreate Asheville 10-Year Plan.
Asheville voters overwhelmingly approved a general obligation bond referendum in November, allocating up to $20 million for parks and recreation improvements throughout the city, including a new pool at Malvern Hills Park.
Right now, the project is in the planning phase. The city posted the Request for Qualifications in February.
“To ensure the selected firm can get to work quickly, we’ve launched a community survey to gather ideas, preferences, and potential uses for the new pool. This is an opportunity to let us know what features and experiences are most important,” the city’s website said. “Feedback from the survey will be used to design community engagement sessions in the coming weeks, further refining ideas to design a space that reflects the entire community’s spirit.”