A South Florida city has temporarily shut down all of its operating public pools while officials review safety conditions, with the mayor now calling for $5 million to renovate and modernize the facilities.
Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo ordered the immediate closure of McDonald Pool, Milander Aquatic Center and Babcock Pool, while the already-closed Bucky Dent Water Park will remain shut during an independent review, according to CBS News Miami.
The closures come as questions mount over the condition and oversight of the city’s aquatic facilities. Calvo said the city will bring in an independent health and safety expert to examine the pools, their operations and any repairs or improvements needed before they reopen.
The mayor said the shutdown was a city decision rather than an order applying to all of the facilities from an outside agency.
According to Local 10, Calvo said he acted after receiving information that raised additional questions about Hialeah’s aquatics operations.
The scrutiny follows problems at the recently renovated Bucky Dent Water Park, which had already been closed. Local 10 reported that the Florida Department of Health shut the facility after violations were found, including a pool without chlorine.
The closure was particularly notable because Bucky Dent had only recently reopened following renovations.
Mayor Says Years of Neglect Left Hialeah Pools in Need of Millions
Calvo has framed the broader problem as one that developed over years, saying the condition of numerous Hialeah park and aquatic facilities reflects “years of deferred maintenance and neglect,” Local 10 reported.
He has asked Commissioner René García to help identify $5 million that could be used to renovate and modernize the facilities.
“Our families have waited long enough,” Calvo said, according to CBS News Miami.
The shutdown affects the city’s functioning public pools at a time when South Florida residents rely heavily on pools and water parks during the summer.
Local 10 reported that several other Hialeah pools were already out of service before the latest action. Bright Pool, Reid Pool and Walker Pool have each been closed and inoperable for roughly seven years, according to a city official cited by the station.
That leaves the latest shutdown covering McDonald Water Park, Milander Aquatic Center and Babcock Pool, in addition to keeping Bucky Dent closed.
For residents, the dispute is now about more than when they can get back into the water. The closures raise questions about how Hialeah’s recreational facilities reached their current condition, what repairs taxpayers may ultimately fund and how quickly the city can make the pools safe to reopen.
The city said the independent expert will review facility conditions, operations and necessary improvements. Officials also plan to examine oversight responsibilities for the aquatics program, CBS Miami reported.
There is not yet a firm reopening date. Hialeah officials said individual facilities will remain closed until the review is finished and any required corrective work has been addressed.
The city is expected to release additional information as the review progresses and decisions are made about when each pool can reopen.
