Woodson Park is trading swim lanes for steel beams. Demolition crews rolled into southwest Oklahoma City on Monday and started tearing down the old Woodson Pool, clearing a heavily used corner of the park to make room for a new MAPS 4 youth center. The pool, a longtime spot for summer lessons and neighborhood swims, is coming out as heavy equipment moves across the site. Neighbors are being warned to expect temporary closures and plenty of construction traffic around the pool area while crews are on the job, as reported by the City of Oklahoma City.
Demolition began Monday on the old Woodson Pool in southwest Oklahoma City. We've had lots of good memories at this site, but we're making way for the new MAPS 4 youth center! Good things are ahead. https://x.com/i/status/2031898082690973760
— OKC Parks (@OKCParks) March 12, 2026
Woodson Park Will Get A MAPS 4 Youth Center
Woodson Park is one of four MAPS 4 youth center locations. The city lists the project at 3403 S May Ave and notes that MAPS 4 set aside roughly $118 million to build and operate the centers, according to the City of Oklahoma City. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County will run the new facilities after they open, the organization said in its announcement.
Design, Cost And Timeline
Design plans unveiled last fall show classrooms, art and music studios, counseling suites and a double gym, along with safety features that include a storm shelter safe room and ballistic-rated glazing in some areas, The Journal Record reported. The first facility was expected to be bid in the summer and could take roughly 14 to 18 months to build, with a base bid near $14 million and alternates that could push the total higher. That coverage also noted that parks staff planned to remove the existing pool to clear the way for the new center.
What Stays And What Goes
City documents show Woodson Park already has a recently built athletic complex and multiple ballfields, and those will stay open while staff decide how to reuse other buildings on the property after the youth center is operating, according to the city project pages. In its post announcing demolition, OKC Parks asked neighbors for patience as crews work through the removal phase.
Construction Progress And Community Impact
Public procurement records show the city posted a solicitation in January for “Woodson Park pool and building demolition” as part of pre-construction work, and contractors began removal this week, according to public bidding listings. City leaders and partner organizations say the youth center program is meant to expand after-school, summer and counseling services in neighborhoods identified as having high need, with the new building designed to pull those offerings under one roof.
“We’ve had lots of good memories at this site, but we’re making way for the new MAPS 4 youth center! Good things are ahead,” OKC Parks wrote on X, framing the demolition as the first visible step in turning years of planning into construction on the ground.
