Another Boston public pool is reopening this summer after years of closures

Danny Vargas learned to swim in second grade at his Jamaica Plain school. Vargas is now 21 and works at the Hyde Square Task Force — and he and his peers have been sending letters and emails to urge local officials to repair and reopen the pool at the Hennigan School.

“I learned how to swim at a young age — and for the newer generations, or the kids who go to the Hennigan, for them to not being able to learn how to swim is frustrating to me. Because I’d like the same opportunity to be presented to other people,” Vargas said. “It’s not fair for those who live around there.”

After years of the pool being closed due to maintenance issues, the Jamaica Plain pool passed inspection last week and reopened Monday for the summer. Kids can swim after school, and it’s open to all residents in the evenings during the week through the city’s Boston Centers for Youth & Families.

“For it to finally be opened again is truly something to look forward to,” Vargas said. He’s hoping for a pool party to celebrate the pool’s reopening.

“It’s really a relief to the community, especially in a predominantly Black and brown community,” said Eryn-Ashlei Bailey, the president of the Evergreen-Kenney Neighborhood Association. “It’s important for children to be able to go somewhere and cool off, learn how to swim.”

Just three years ago, about half of the city’s pools were closed for the summer, including almost every pool in Dorchester and Mattapan. Frustrated advocates and councilors pointed to years of delayed maintenance costs and not enough lifeguards to staff the pools — along with major renovations to the larger facilities that closed off access to the pools.

Today, 16 pools — about three-quarters of the city’s total — plus Curley Beach are open to the public.

“I’m really proud that, over the last three and a half years, we have poured unprecedented resources into fixing up our pools, staffing up with lifeguards and making sure that we’re giving free swim lessons across the city,” Mayor Michelle Wu shared on her personal social media accounts last summer.

This year, Boston gave out over $100,000 in grants to nonprofits to offer kids free swim lessons.

Councilor Ben Weber, who represents Jamaica Plain, said he is “thrilled” the pool is finally open. He credits hundreds of engaged residents who’ve been pushing for the facility’s restoration.

“Our neighborhood spaces like the BCYF Hennigan are the lifeblood of our communities, and we knew we couldn’t let this vital asset sit idle,” Weber wrote in a statement. “The pool’s reopening is a testament to what happens when we organize. This reopening belongs to the neighborhood, and I want to deeply thank every single resident who lent their voice and energy to bring this pool back to life.”

Bailey is also excited the pool is finally open for the first time since she moved to Jamaica Plain in 2021. But she’s still hoping the pool — and the Hennigan community center overall — will become more available as a local resource. The Hennigan’s closed on weekends.

“There’s certainly room on the schedule to get more time in the pool,” Bailey said. “And I’m grateful — I don’t want to sound ungrateful. But I’m ever-hopeful that we’ll get more pool time open ... and that there will truly be a place for the entire community to come together.”

“If the city is going to have community centers: Staff them, let’s have a capital plan to maintain them, and let’s keep them open,” said Allison Cox, a parent who’s lived in Jamaica Plain for 20 years. “Otherwise, what’s the point?”