Baltimore officials and partners on Wednesday celebrated the opening of the Coldstream Aquatic Center in Northeast Baltimore, making it the city’s third new neighborhood pool to open this summer.
This summer, the city also opened Walter P. Carter Aquatic Center in Northeast Baltimore and Towanda Aquatic Center in Northwest Baltimore.
“There’s nothing like the feeling of jumping into a brand-new pool on a hot day—and I’ve had the chance to do that twice this week,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “We’re putting ARPA dollars to good use at Coldstream Pool in Northeast Baltimore, and Towanda Pool, next to the rec center I went to every day as a young man in Park Heights. All Baltimoreans should have access to quality, safe, free pools, and my administration is delivering historic investments across our city to make that possible.”
These pool openings are part of the city’s Rec Roll Out, which aims to provide access to save, accessible, and state-of-the-art recreational facilities to Baltimore residents. The city used a combined $15 million investment from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the Towanda and Coldstream pools, and the Walter P. Carter pool received approximately $5.4 million from city and state funds. Scott and the City of Baltimore have used ARPA and other funds to invest in new pools and other recreational resources.
Baltimore City pools were segregated until June 1956. In 1921, the city built Pool Number 2 in Druid Hill Park as the only public pool open to Black residents in Baltimore. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a lawsuit against the city and won. On June 23, 1956, all pools city-wide were opened to everyone regardless of race, though that policy was met with fierce resistance in the following decades.
“Community pools bring neighbors together, promote health and wellness, and offer fun, safe spaces for kids and families to spend their summers,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) in a statement. “The renovation of the Towanda and Coldstream Aquatic Centers – supported by American Rescue Plan funding – will provide all this for Baltimore residents. I’m glad they are opening just in time for families to enjoy them this summer.”
“We see the positive change that neighborhood pools bring to communities, and so that’s why we’re so excited to have these three new pools up and running this summer,” said Reginald Moore, director of Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks, in a statement. “As soon as we cut the ribbon, we’ve seen families cooling off from the heat and enjoying themselves. Investments like this build strength and community that benefit our young people for generations to come.”
Baltimore City Recreation and Parks worked with CannonDesign and Plano-Coudon on the design and construction for all three projects. Each newly opened aquatic center has features like a lap pool, a wading pool, restrooms, lounge chairs, canopies, offices, mechanical rooms, and more. They are each designed to foster a sense of play and relaxation in its visitors.
With these three openings, 17 pools are available to Baltimore City residents free of charge, including six park pools and 11 neighborhood pools. Another pool, the Greater Model Aquatic Center in West Baltimore, is under construction with a planned opening in summer 2026.
For more information about the Rec Rollout program and Baltimore City’s historic investment in recreation and parks, click this link.
what happened to the mayor’s push for more public swimming in the harbor ?