The Troy Family Aquatic Center will sit empty for the entire 2027 summer season after city officials determined that aging underground systems failed so badly this year that extensive repairs are now unavoidable. The closure follows a summer of “unsustainable” water loss that sent crews searching for the source of the problem beneath the popular outdoor pool.
City officials say the facility experienced significant infrastructure failures that require extensive repairs, according to The Detroit News. During the summer of 2026, the pool complex suffered “unsustainable” water loss tied to multiple failures throughout its aging underground systems, the outlet reported. City Manager Frank Nastasi confirmed the timeline is tight: because the work can only happen when the pool isn’t in seasonal use, there’s no way to squeeze repairs into next year without shutting the whole season down. “Because repairs can only be done in the summer, the pool will be closed for the 2027 season,” Nastasi said, per the same report.
The price tag depends on how far the city wants to go. Minimum repairs to the underground system are estimated at $1 million, while a more ambitious modernization effort meant to significantly extend the infrastructure’s usable life carries an estimated cost of $15 million, the Detroit News reported. City officials say Troy must now evaluate long-term solutions and determine the aquatic center’s future before committing to either path.
A Pool With a Long, Costly History
This isn’t the first time Troy has had to reckon with the aging pool complex. Back in 2020, a report from ClickOnDetroit described the then-29-year-old complex as needing new pool wall interiors, energy-efficient lights and drains, after a summer shutdown due to COVID-19 had already kept the outdoor pool closed. At the time, then-Mayor Ethan Baker invited residents to weigh in on whether the city should continue investing in the aging facility or consider other options altogether.
Troy didn’t walk away. The city has invested more than $1.6 million in capital improvements to the aquatic center since 2020, the Detroit News reported. The pool has also drawn steady crowds in recent years; more than 20,000 people visited the Troy Family Aquatic Center in a single season, according to C%26G Newspapers, which also reported that recreation staff recommended 2025 day-pass prices of $15 for residents and $24 for nonresidents.
A Stalled Tax Vote Left Repairs Waiting
Bigger upgrades to the aquatic center were already on hold before this year’s water-loss discovery. Voters rejected a 1.13-mill, 20-year property tax proposal in November 2025 that would have raised $137 million for capital needs citywide, and the city postponed planned aquatic-center improvements as a result, the Detroit News reported. That left the facility running on incremental fixes rather than the kind of comprehensive overhaul now being discussed.
Nastasi described the aquatic center as a gathering place that has served Troy families for generations, and said the city will continue evaluating its long-term future. He added that community partnerships could be part of the eventual solution, though no specific plan has been finalized.
What Stays Open, and What Doesn't
Families won’t be left entirely without a place to swim during the shutdown. The indoor leisure pool at the Troy Community Center remains open, the Detroit News reported, giving residents an alternative while the outdoor facility undergoes its evaluation. The closure stands in contrast to nearby Southfield, which broke ground in late October on a new $26 million, 38,000-square-foot aquatic center expected to be complete in 2028, according to the same report.
