An East Baltimore park will get a new pool, ADA lift, waterslide, and other upgrades as part of a more than $2 million project, city officials announced Monday.
In East Baltimore’s Johnston Square neighborhood, Ambrose Kennedy Pool at Henrietta Lacks Educational Park will undergo renovations as part of the city’s “Rec Rollout” and ongoing improvements taking place at the park.
Renovations will also include a pool deck, mechanical equipment and waterline. Funding for the project comes from city and state bonds, totaling more than $2 million, according to a press announcement.
“We are committed to equity and inclusivity across all neighborhoods in the City of Baltimore,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “Our vision is to ensure that all residents have access to high-quality recreational spaces to enjoy within proximity of their homes. Upgrading this facility is a great example of how we are revitalizing communities while ushering in a new era in recreation that benefits the well-being of our residents.”
Scott joined Baltimore City Recreation and Parks officials at a groundbreaking for the renovations Monday.
BCRP Executive Director Reginald Moore expressed excitement about the continued improvements.
“We’re thrilled to continue advancing our Rec Rollout,” Moore said in a statement. “These projects allow us to honor our pledge to provide top-notch recreation opportunities in our neighborhoods. We look forward to announcing additional upgrades to our recreational facilities.”
Henrietta Lacks Educational Parks, originally opened in 1951, features newly updated basketball courts and bathrooms, new green spaces, and walking paths. It spans 1.75 acres, and the first phase of renovations began in 2018, after years of work and activism from community members to improve the park and through it, the neighborhood.
According to a profile of the park in National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) monthly magazine, the area used to be primarily used as a cut-through to a nearby school, a “dumping ground and a place for illicit activity.” Johnston Square resident Regina Hammond and her husband, Keith Hammond, created the Rebuild Johnson Square Association to organize local volunteers to reclaim the space for their community.
“Work began with local volunteers gathering to make small improvements to the park: picking up litter, cutting back the overgrowth and repainting the basketball courts,” reads the profile, and the next big opportunity came with NRPA’s Great Urban Parks grant funding. Parks and People Foundation applied for the grant, received more than $400,000 to re-envision the park, and began working with The Rebuild Johnson Square Association, BCRP, and other civic groups for that purpose.
That grant created a ripple effect of improvements, beginning with the renovations in 2018 and continuing through Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony.
The pool is expected to open in time for the 2024 swim season, and the park’s splash pad is available this summer.
“We are very excited to learn that a brand-new pool is coming to Johnston Square and that we have been assured that our youth will have access to the splash pad all summer this season,” Hammond said in a statement. “We stand ready to work together with our partners at the City of Baltimore to fulfill the needs of our communities and our youth in the future.”
BCRP’s larger Rec Rollout “includes a series of playground ribbon cuttings and groundbreaking celebrations announcing upcoming recreation center and pool projects. The City is slated to announce upgrades at Parkview Recreation Center and Myers Pavilion in the coming weeks,” according to the press release.
For more information about registering for these events and more, please visit BCRP’s website by clicking here.
