When Gypsy Hill Park Pool reopens in May 2026 for the next summer season, residents and visitors will have a pool and facilities to enjoy that are accessible for individuals of all abilities.
The City of Staunton will finally have a municipal pool that embodies the city’s values, and welcomes the grandmother who uses a walker to come watch her grandchildren swim, the child in a wheelchair to enjoy the summer sun and the young adult unsure of each step to take a dip in the pool.
“Today’s event marks more than just the beginning of construction,” Staunton Mayor Michele Edwards said Friday morning at a groundbreaking ceremony for Gypsy Hill Park‘s new pool and pool house. “It represents our city’s commitment to creating and fostering community where everyone belongs, where everyone can thrive.”
A new municipal pool, which will cost the city $2.5 million, is an investment in the city’s health, recreational needs and quality of life that draws families every summer and encourages other families to come to Staunton.
“Municipal pools like the ones we have here at Gypsy Hill Park and Montgomery Hall are community treasures. These places are where children learn to swim, where families celebrate birthdays and other milestones, where teenagers get their first jobs as lifeguards. In short, they’re places where memories are made,” Edwards said.
A new pool at Gypsy Hill Park will ensure that everyone, regardless of their ability, will be able to enjoy a swimming pool for decades to come.
Demolition of the existing pool, which was built in 1958, will begin August 11. Designed by Wiley Wilson, the construction of a new pool and facilities will be led by Lantz Construction of Rockingham County. The new pool and facilities will be paid for with 67 percent of funding coming from interest the city has earned on its Capital Improvement Plan fund and from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
“This project is the result of thoughtful planning, careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars and a shared vision for Staunton‘s future,” Edwards said.
Staunton Director of Parks & Recreation Chris Tuttle said that staff met a year ago to begin planning for a new pool after Wiley Wilson was contracted to examine the structure of the pool house and concluded the building was no longer structurally sound. For summer 2025, residents and visitors were not permitted inside the pool house.
“Our goal was to have a contractor out here [for construction of a new pool] in August shortly after the pool closed [for the 2025 summer season],” Wiley Wilson Project Manager Dan Sutton said. “It was a tremendous amount of work in a relatively short period of time, and none of this could have happened without the support of city staff.”
Sutton said that he and his engineer staff are excited to see their design become buildings and a pool, and are excited to see them open for the 2026 summer swimming season.
Thomas Hannon is Staunton’s Recreation Programmer/Aquatics Director. His first job was serving as a lifeguard at Gypsy Hill Park Pool while in college. He became director four years ago.
“It helped me learn a lot of the soft skills just by dealing with the public and thinking on your feet that you don’t really get a lot [otherwise]. That’s kind of why I liked lifeguarding in particular was it’s different every day,” Hannon said.
As Aquatics Director, Hannon is able to pass on what previous directors taught him.
Alyssa Pettyjohn and her sister grew up swimming at Gypsy Hill Park Pool and now work as a pool manager and a lifeguard, respectively, at the pool.
“We’ve grown up here and seen this building for the past 10 or so years. So, to see it kind of become something greater, I’ve known the ins and outs of how difficult it can be sometimes working with this building. To see the community get to a better point and to grow the community, I’m really excited to see that,” Pettyjohn said.
Hannon said the pool house was built in the 1970s before awareness of the importance to create accessibility for all. The new pool house will be two buildings on ground level.
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Rebecca Barnabi
