After nearly a year of renovations, Juneau’s Augustus Brown Pool is finally reopening.
More than 50 people gathered outside its front entrance in downtown Juneau on Friday to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand reveal of the pool’s multimillion-dollar renovations.
Juneau Parks and Recreation Director George Schaaf said without the Juneau community’s long-standing support for the more than 50-year-old pool, the renovation wouldn’t have been able to happen.
“I want to say thank you to the community of Juneau, you showed at the ballot box how important this pool is to you,” he said. “We are so excited to have Juneau back to being a two-pool town again.”
Schaaf said contractors have spent the past 11 months on upgrades that many swimmers might not notice — like new boilers, electric plumbing and ventilation. But, there are some noticeable changes too — like a resurfaced leisure pool and remodeled locker rooms.
The painted tiles that once lined the locker room showers were also replaced with new ones during the renovations and high-resolution photos of the original 1999 designs now line the lobby.
After the ribbon cutting concluded, residents were invited inside where Lingít elders led a blessing of the water.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Junior Ellie Yerkes was one of the many who took the chance to walk around and explore the renovations. She said she grew up swimming in the pool and is excited to get back in the water after so long without it.
“My grandfather really likes to swim and he’d always bring me down here and my cousins and we just play around,” she said. “It’s nice having it back open again because I’ve missed it.”
Another person excited to get back in the water is former Assembly member Carole Triem, who was a driving force behind a ballot proposition passed in 2017 and an Assembly appropriation in 2021 to fund the $8 million renovation.
“I woke up and I said ‘pool day, pool day, pool day!’ It’s just really great to see this open again and to be on the deck,” she said. “I haven’t been here for so long — I can’t wait to dive in the pool.”
Though the ribbon cutting ceremony was on Friday, users won’t be able to test the waters until the pool’s soft opening on Monday, followed by an official grand reopening and community free swim on Saturday, March 9.
