Rising Eddy Community Pool Project

UPDATES

Following an open call to the public for names, the City Council approves ‘Rising Eddy Community Pool’

The Portland City Council recently approved an order renaming the Kiwanis Pool the Rising Eddy Community Pool, to honor the enduring resilience and renewal of the city of Portland and the Libbytown neighborhood, and to evoke a safe place for people to swim, enjoy summers, and build a sense of community. The Council approved this order at its February 2, 2026 meeting following review by the Sustainability & Transportation Committee at its January 14 meeting, an open call to the public for names, as well as a review by the Naming Committee. The new pool is expected to open this June, replacing the former Kiwanis Pool on Douglass Street, which is part of the Dougherty Field complex, in the Libbytown neighborhood.

BACKGROUND

In 2019, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities started planning for the replacement of the 60+ year old Kiwanis Pool. Through outreach to existing pool user groups and neighborhood groups, a conceptual plan and budget was developed for a new aquatic facility that would allow for greater access to Portlanders of all abilities, including a new focus on ADA access, zero-grade entry area for those with mobility challenges and young toddlers, as well as enhanced recreational features for teens and young adults. Community engagement confirmed that lap swim lanes and instructional areas are also important to community groups. Since 2019, a vision has been prepared for a 21st century pool that appeals to a wide variety of Portlanders of all abilities and backgrounds. Set in the vibrant Libbytown neighborhood and in close proximity to numerous workforce housing developments, the new pool at Dougherty Field promises to be a recreational hub and community gathering space for generations to come.

In summer 2023, a design team was hired to take pool design from a conceptual plan to detailed construction documents. Public meetings were held in July and October 2023 to share design progress and solicit community input as the vision for the new pool became more detailed and specific.

Over the course of fall 2023 and winter 2024, the design team worked to streamline the project vision due to anticipated growing construction costs: the shade pavilion in the original concept design was replaced by shade sails, the separate 6-lane lap pool was linked to the recreation pool and reduced to 4-lanes, and the overall changing room and support building footprints were reduced and simplified to improve constructability. Additionally, the climbing wall discussed during the early conceptual design stage was removed from the project. Meanwhile, the accessibility features of the new pool were prioritized: the proposed pool still includes a zero-grade entry, interactive splash features at the shallow end and a space that can be used for a walking lane to accommodate aquatic physical therapy for adults. The project also kept the water slide and made provisions for a second water slide to be added in the future in response to community needs/demand.

In July 2024, the City received contractor bids for the final design that exceeded the available project funding. Parks, Recreation and Facilities worked with the design consultant team and the lowest qualified bidder to make some design changes that that reduce project costs. In Late October 2024, the project funding gap was closed through a combination of project cost reductions, the City allocating additional funds and the Portland Parks Conservancy committing to fundraising $1.25 million. Please see the Portland Parks Conservancy page HERE for more information on the fundraising effort.

In Spring 2025, the demolition of the old Kiwanis Pool facility was completed and construction on Portland's new Community Pool was begun. Over the month of June, pool and building foundations will be poured and both pool and site walls will be constructed.

Check out the "Project Timeline" at the bottom right side of this page for a forecast of the anticipated construction schedule.
Click on "Project Updates" for details on construction progress.