Reston Association will welcome the community back to its Shadowood swimming pool later this month with a grand reopening party.
The celebration on Saturday, June 15 will start with a ribbon-cutting at 10:30 a.m., followed by refreshments, pool games, DJ entertainment and other activities, RA announced yesterday (Tuesday). With six other pools opening that day, this summer is the first since 2019 where all 15 of RA’s aquatics facilities will be operating.
“We are thrilled to reopen this pool for our community,” RA Director of Capital Projects Chris Schumaker said. “Our members told us they valued this facility and offered ideas for what they wanted to see in a renovation, which we’ve tried to bring to fruition. We hope the improvements and renovations to Shadowood Pool will continue to bring enjoyment to our members for years to come.”
Coming on the heels of the Lake Thoreau pool’s return just before Memorial Day weekend, the Shadowood pool’s comeback wasn’t always guaranteed.
Closed after the 2019 swim season, Shadowood Pool (2201 Springwood Drive) was slated for a full-scale renovation, as various components of the 44-year-old facility had deteriorated, including the sewage system and interior plaster surface.
However, in 2021, RA staff suggested instead repurposing four of its least-used pools, including the one at Shadowood, after a working group study highlighted the increasing costs of maintaining them.
As community members advocated for the pools to stay, RA’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee recommended in 2022 that the organization move forward with renovating Shadowood Pool, noting that improvements could increase usage.
The RA Board of Directors ultimately approved upgrades that spring that included a reconfiguration of the main 25-meter pool to accommodate lap lanes, a splash pad in place of the existing wading pool, the installation of a gas line for heaters, and pool deck and bathhouse repairs.
Undertaken in two phases, the renovation began in May 2023 but encountered delays due to unanticipated repairs and the weather, preventing the facility from reopening for the 2023 pool season as hoped.
According to RA, the overall project cost about $900,000 — 18% under its allocated budget of $1.1 million.
RA is encouraging people to RSVP for the upcoming ribbon-cutting ceremony by emailing events@reston.org. The reopening event is free, but a recreation pass is needed to access the pool.
“Staff will be on hand during the grand reopening event and throughout the opening weekend to process new passes and renewals for the community,” RA said.
RA members now get a recreation pass as part of their annual assessment instead of paying a separate fee. The organization also adopted extended hours for this pool season in response to a community survey completed last year.
When Shadowood Pool reopens, it may bear a different name. The results of public input on whether the recreational area should be renamed to clarify that it’s not limited to Shadowood Condominium residents will be presented at a Board of Directors work session on June 13, RA communications director Cara O’Donnell says.
