One city committee hopes to preserve Memorial Pool and bathhouse

Some designs at the UW-L site call for demolition of it all.

One La Crosse city committee isn’t giving up on Memorial Pool without a fight.

The Heritage Preservation Commission is calling on city leaders to consider ways of preserving the Memorial bathhouse and the shape of the long-time swimming pool, if a new aquatic center is built at the Campbell Rd. site.

Both the pool and bathhouse, dating back to the 1930s, have been declared locally historic sites by the commission.  

Some preferred designs for a new pool at the Memorial site would require demolition of the existing bathhouse and pool.

The city council could take a vote on new swimming pool designs at its July meeting.

The panel wants more options to be explored and that pleases city council member Barb Janssen, who has been an advocate for keeping Memorial.

“The recommendation is very logical,” she said. “And, it’s just one more option that I think other people are already thinking about.”

The commission was told last night that Memorial could be rebuilt without many changes, if it has a steel liner to prevent leakage.

The La Crescent swimming pool reportedly has such a metal liner.