Oxford Aldermen Take First Steps in Planning for New City Pool

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

One of Oxford’s most popular recreational spots is the City Pool which has kept families cool during the hot summer months since 1978.

However, the pool is showing its age and for the last several years, the Oxford Board of Aldermen and the Oxford Park Commission have been spending thousands of dollars to put “band-aids” on the pool and its deck to keep it open.

City leaders know Oxford needs a new pool with more parking and on Tuesday, they voted to hire a local architecture firm to help with the logistics of how to make that happen.

The city hired PryorMorrow, the architecture firm that presided over the design and construction of the Ulysses “Coach” Howell Activity Center, to determine the feasibility of building a new public pool.

Special Projects Director Mark Levy told the Board that PryorMorrow will be tasked with gathering community input and asking “big picture” questions.

The primary objectives for the pre-planning phase are:

• Determine the aquatic needs of the community through civic meetings and a web-based survey
• Design and develop a program for a proposed new pool
• Recommend the size and location of the proposed new swimming pool inside Stone Park
• Provide a conceptual plan and renderings of the proposed new pool
• Determine the cost of building a new pool

“PryorMorrow will report back to the Board with their findings and then can advise about moving into the design process,” Levy said.