SCRANTON, Pa. — The lock on the gate at the McDade Park swimming pool in Scranton will stay on this summer.
The Lackawanna County engineer says it needs some work and is not safe to open right now.
County officials tell us one of the buildings next to the pool has started to cave in due to a natural shift in the land.
John Dyson used to take his daughter Karmyn to swim here in summers past.
"I think it's a shame; the kids should have somewhere to go swimming," he said.
The county is looking for grant money to cover the cost of its planned upgrade, which will also include a new splash pad, about $800,000.
"Oh god, it's really sad because the kids don't have anywhere to go. So you feel more for the kids than you do for anything," said Joanne Connor of Taylor.
"I feel sorry about it because the kids really enjoyed it. My children always came here in the summer, and they need it, especially this season, this year," said Judy Whitman of Old Forge.
The last time this pool was open was in 2019, just like all the other pools in Scranton, which were closed last summer because of COVID.
"The schools were closed, now there's pools closed, but they do have recreation here for them," said Whitman.
The city does have a few pools that will be open this summer, and the county says there are lakes in some of the parks that people can swim in.
The goal at McDade is for either the pool, the splash pad, or both to be ready by next summer.