Neighbors, nonprofits and schools submit letters urging Blackstone repairs

At the hearing Councilor Flynn read multiple letters from neighborhood groups and institutions urging the city to prioritize repair and reopening of the Blackstone pool. Submissions included a letter from Vanessa Calderon Rosado of a Villa Victoria organization, a letter from Christina Lopez, founding head of South End Village Academy, and statements from Friends of the Blackstone School and the Soccer Unity Project.

The letters described the pool as "a vital recreational, educational and public health resource" for families, seniors and low‑income residents and asked the council to work with the mayor's office, Boston Centers for Youth and Families and community organizations to secure funding and create a timeline for reopening. Christina Lopez wrote the pool "would be a place for all children to connect and grow together" and highlighted lifeguard‑training and youth employment opportunities tied to a reopened facility.

Councilors said they would enter those letters into the record and use them to inform outreach and budget advocacy for an independent engineering study and subsequent capital funding.