INDIANAPOLIS — It’s been a long, hot summer in Broad Ripple and the neighborhood’s beloved community pool remains closed.
With temperatures rising and August just around the corner, many are wondering if the Broad Ripple Park Pool will open at all this season.
“Indy Parks keeps telling us different reasons for the delay,” said Bill Malcolm, a longtime resident and community volunteer.
Malcolm helps run the Friends of Broad Ripple Pool Facebook group and is an active volunteer with Friends of Broad Ripple Park.
“Initially, we were told it was a pool pump issue and then we heard it was a pump part that’s no longer made," said Malcolm. "Later, we were told there was sand in the filter and that the health department needed to check chlorine levels."
The Broad Ripple Park Pool has a rich history serving the community for more than a century.
“There used to be a pool here triple the size of this one,” Malcolm said. “The famous swimmer Johnny Weissmuller even swam here."
For many, the pool isn’t just a place to cool off. It’s an important amenity that brings people together and offers relief from summer heat.
“We don’t have amenities like this in every neighborhood,” Malcolm said.
City-County Councilor John Barth has also gotten involved. He has been advocating for the pool’s opening and says he has been given multiple explanations as well. As of late June, there’s still no firm timeline for when the pool might open.
Malcolm remains cautiously optimistic. “We saw lifeguards training again on Sunday, so that’s encouraging."
As the calendar quickly approaches August 3, the scheduled last day of the already-short pool season, many in the community are questioning whether a two-month window is even realistic anymore.
“If we’re not going to open, just say it,” Malcolm said. “Then we can go to plan and maybe visit another pool."
In addition to equipment issues, Indy Parks has faced other challenges this summer, including a suspected arson incident that damaged camp supplies at the park in May, as well as ongoing budget constraints.
For now, Broad Ripple residents are waiting, hoping, and keeping their spirits up in the face of uncertainty.
“Maybe this week will be the week,” Malcolm said. “We just want to swim.”
WRTV reached out to Indy Parks and has not heard back.
