Malvern Hills Park Pool
Malvern Hills Park Pool
The City of Asheville is replacing the existing, aging, and unsafe municipal pool in Malvern Hills Park with a new, modern, and code-compliant aquatic facility that enhances community recreation opportunities and ensures accessibility for all residents.
Happening Now
Currently, this project is in the planning phase. The City of Asheville posted the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), inviting top aquatic design and architecture firms to outline their best ideas to meet the needs of the community. To ensure the selected firm can hit the ground running (or hit the water swimming, rather), Asheville Parks & Recreation will launch a community survey in March to gather ideas, preferences, and potential uses for the new pool. This is an opportunity to share what features and experiences you most want to see. The City of Asheville and the chosen design firm will use feedback from the survey to host in-person and virtual community engagement sessions, further refining ideas to design a space that reflects our community’s spirit.
Asheville voters overwhelmingly approved a general obligation (GO) 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. A new aquatics facility was identified as a priority in the Recreate Asheville 10-Year Plan.
Due to catastrophic damage to parks, streets, and other vital community infrastructure, the City of Asheville is sequencing community investment projects based on complexity, available resources, and staff capacity.
Background
The current pool has exceeded its useful lifespan and presents safety concerns. Replacing the pool is crucial to:
- Ensure public safety: Mitigate risks associated with the current pool's condition and meet current building codes and safety standards
- Improve accessibility: Provide a fully accessible facility compliant with ADA guidelines, ensuring inclusivity for all community members
- Enhance recreational opportunities: Offer modern amenities and features to promote healthy lifestyles
- Increase community value: Create a valuable asset that enhances the quality of life and attractiveness of our city
Opportunities for Input
The community engagement phase for the new pool is expected to start later this year. For more on construction project flow, check out this article.
Useful Links
Previous Updates
Frequently Asked Questions
While the specific timeline is not finalized, this project is a top priority for the City of Asheville. A more detailed timeline will be shared in the near future, but designing and building a new outdoor pool – even on the site of a previous pool – is complex and will take time. For perspective, the community engagement, design and construction of the pool at Grant Southside Center took multiple years.
Contact Information
Pete Wall, Assistant Director
Asheville Parks & Recreation
(828) 259-5800