Residents urge immediate repairs to Freedom Hall pool and push for regional aquatics plan

Multiple residents urged the Johnson City Commission on April 16 to move quickly to repair Freedom Hall pool and to plan for a regional aquatics facility.

Mary Neese and Susan Rollins, both longtime local swimmers and parents of swimmers, told commissioners that closing or delaying repairs to Freedom Hall deprives children and competitive teams of an essential training and competition venue. Rollins asked for a firm, itemized engineering estimate and a clear timeline for returning Freedom Hall to service; Neese described the community value of local coaching and youth programs.

City staff reported Parks & Recreation and the structural engineer who performed the earlier evaluation met to explore additional repair options and that staff expects data back the following week. An aquatic‑facility consultant provided two timeline estimates for a new regional facility: about 31 months under a traditional design‑bid‑build approach, or about 22 months using a design‑build strategy. Staff said a work session is scheduled in two weeks for further discussion and that more invasive site investigations would be required before final repair bids to disclose actual condition and cost.

Speakers said the community needs both short‑term repairs to preserve swim programs and a long‑term plan that could create a regional competition venue. Staff committed to providing additional engineering options and costs to inform commission decisions.

Representative quote: "Have a firm, itemized quote and timeline from a qualified structural engineering firm for repairs needed to make the pool usable again." — Susan Rollins