Tulsa's Chandler Park Pool May Be Next To Close

Tulsa County is struggling to keep the last of its public pools open. This summer it’s down to just four. Chandler Park is the county's oldest pool, and officials say it may be the next to close.

Corey Farris and his son spend hot summer days cooling off at the Chandler Park pool as do many other families.

"For me and him it's only like $5, so I think that’s, you know what I mean, I think it's a fair price and it's a good pool," Farris said.

But the Chandler Park pool is nearing 50 years old and each year costs more and more to maintain.

Bales  "When something gets to be a certain age, you know, it becomes more difficult just to keep it open," said Tulsa County Parks Director Richard Bales.

Especially, when resources are tight. 

"If you haven't had the ability to make improvements to your pool - and we haven't really had the ability to do that - the pool just ages and you just look at repairing and the repairs get larger, more expensive, the attendance is fair but it's not what it was years ago," Bales said.

One solution: replacing the pools. Something County officials say would only be possible through some sort of tax initiative.

Something Corey say's he's not opposed to.

 "I guess if that's what it takes, why not?" said Corey Farris, Chandler Park pool fan.

Bales says replacing and upgrading each individual pool could cost at least two to three million per facility.

The alternative? A guessing game: on if the pools will re-open again as each summer rolls around.