Lowell Pool, a North End fixture since 1953, has sat empty for more than six years, and Boise is finally ready to show residents what its future could look like. The city will present two design concepts for the historic pool's restoration at a public meeting next Tuesday, November 17, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Lowell Elementary School, 1507 N. 28th Street.
The pool closed during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened, staying shuttered because of safety and accessibility concerns, according to idahonews.com. The pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, adding weight to a restoration effort that has been years in the making. Boise City Council first approved plans to restore the facility in 2024, and this past summer, on July 14, 2026, the council approved a contract with CORE Construction to begin design work, according to the City of Boise.
Two Design Paths for the Pool's Future
City staff have now narrowed the options to two design concepts, according to the city's project page. One would attach new components to the existing structure at the rear of the facility, while the other calls for a larger expansion out onto the pool deck. Residents will get their first look at both options at next week's meeting, where city staff and project partners plan to answer questions and gather community feedback.
The renovation is expected to address structural and mechanical needs throughout the facility, along with updated equipment, the city's project page notes. Accessibility upgrades are also part of the plan, with the stated goal of bringing the pool into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A new support building is also planned for construction behind the pool itself.
Cost Estimates and a Long Road to Reopening
The city estimates the renovation will cost approximately $9.4 million, the same report notes. That figure has shifted somewhat over time: the city's July 2024 FAQ had pegged the project at roughly $9.2 million, with a margin of plus or minus 15 percent, before later city references and news coverage settled on the $9.4 million estimate.
Based on funding availability and current projections, the city says Lowell Pool is expected to reopen in the summer of 2029, according to its project page. The building will remain closed throughout the entire restoration process, and the city has not determined a timeline for when on-site construction will actually begin.
A Rare Survivor of a Vanishing Pool Style
Lowell Pool's original 2024 restoration plan was paired with another project across town: replacing South Pool, at 921 S. Shoshone St., with a new facility near Whitney Elementary School, according to the Idaho Statesman. The two pools share more than a renovation timeline — the Statesman reports that Lowell and South are two of only about a dozen remaining Bintz pools left in the country, a distinctive, aging design style that makes their preservation unusually significant among municipal pools nationwide.
The pools have leaned on community generosity before. In the early 1990s, an anonymous donor gifted $130,000 over two years toward improvements at both facilities, the Statesman has reported. For now, North End residents hoping to see Lowell Pool reopened will need patience, and a trip to Lowell Elementary School next Tuesday, as the city works toward a 2029 target that remains, by its own account, still subject to funding and further planning.
