The City of Asheville is pleased to announce the reopening of the municipal pool at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center for the Independence Day holiday on Friday, July 4, with modified hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This swift reopening is the result of teamwork and dedication by City of Asheville staff working closely with partners at Swim Club Management Group. Knowing how much the community looks forward to safely celebrating the Independence Day holiday with friends, family, and neighbors was a driving factor in prioritizing this reopening.
“The safety of our community is, always has been, and always will be our most important goal,” said APR Director D. Tyrell McGirt. “The recent incidents presented significant safety concerns that we could not ignore. Our team worked quickly and diligently to implement immediate and long-term solutions to ensure a safe environment for everyone to enjoy the pool during this important holiday weekend and through the end of the swim season.”
Enhanced Security Measures
To ensure a positive, secure, and safe experience for all patrons, uniformed security staff will be on-site at the Grant Southside Center pool starting July 4 and continuing through the weekend. The operating schedule is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 4, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 5, and 12 to 6 p.m. on July 6.
The City requires all pool users to adhere to facility rules and lifeguard instructions to maintain a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all pool visitors. Extreme behavior will not be tolerated.
Temporary Closure
The pool’s temporary closure on July 2 and July 3 was a difficult but necessary decision made to ensure the safety and security of all patrons after several serious incidents compromised the safety and security of the facility. These incidents included individuals disregarding lifeguard instructions to the extent of requiring involvement from the Asheville Police Department, detonation of firecrackers on the pool deck, and other extreme behaviors leading to patron removal. Most recently, an incident involved a juvenile with a firearm on the premises on July 1. While previous incidents and bad behavior were addressed on a case-by-case basis, the firearm episode was serious enough to institute a temporary closure and create new security protocols.