Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington provided an on-site update at Martin Luther King Park saying the park’s renovated pool opened June 6 and has welcomed more than 11,000 visitors in its first 38 days. Washington said the city expects the adjacent community lodge and remaining site improvements to be finished in early 2026.

In a city update at the park, community engagement specialist Devin Figueroa said, “Since the June 6 opening of the bathhouse, we have had over 11,000 people come through the doors in the first 38 days, which is absolutely incredible.” Figueroa said the new bathhouse includes new changing rooms and restroom facilities and is fully accessible.

Laura Claypool, interim parks director, described amenities planned for the lodge, saying the facility is being designed as a community center. Claypool said the building will include an NBA-size full basketball court, a community event space with banquet seating for about 200 people, two reservable classrooms/party rooms with roughly 30-person capacity each that open onto the pool deck with roll-up doors, two offices for neighborhood groups, and a fitness studio.

Washington said the overall capital project is “total 20,000,000 roughly” and credited a mix of local and state funding, thanking Representative Grama for assistance on state funding. He said the project’s funding sources include city capital funds, the city’s equity fund (as described in the update), and state funding. Construction lead on the project is Airhart Construction and landscape architect is OCBA; the design partner for the bathhouse was identified as IVNA.

Pool hours currently run Tuesday through Sunday with operations beginning at 11:30 a.m.; the pool is closed on Mondays, Washington said. The city’s parks and recreation web page and the department’s Facebook page were listed as sources for the most current hours and programming information.

Officials said site improvements — including the community lodge, playground, parking lot and a fitness loop — are expected in early 2026, and the city anticipates public tours during the first month after opening with programming ramping up “by March,” according to Washington and staff.

Until the lodge and site work are complete, Washington encouraged residents to continue using the open pool.