Local
Cranston races winter to cover Budlong Pool after builder's collapse leaves $5M facility exposed
Cranston officials say a replacement cover for the newly rebuilt Budlong Pool should arrive within weeks, after the original contractor went out of business and leaves turned the water green. City leaders are promising a cleanup before the first freeze, but the timeline remains uncertain.
CRANSTON â City officials are scrambling to install a winter cover on the newly reopened Budlong Pool after the contractor responsible for the cover went out of business, leaving the $5 million facility exposed to falling leaves and debris as temperatures drop.
Mayor Ken Hopkins said the city expects a new cover to be delivered within the next couple of weeks, though he acknowledged the timeline is not guaranteed. A City Council committee meeting last week cited a four-to-six-week estimate for covering the pool, while Hopkins said he hopes it will arrive sooner.
"Within the next couple of weeks, they should have a new cover," Hopkins said.
The pool, which had been closed since 2020, reopened this summer following a roughly $5 million reconstruction. But the company that built it, Vantage, was supposed to supply a cover and instead went out of business, Hopkins said. The pool's unusual design has made it difficult to find a replacement vendor, he added.
Aerial video this week showed the pool's water had turned green, with leaves from surrounding trees blanketing the surface. The city was unable to close the pool after its first summer back in operation because no cover was available.
Public Works Director Frank Corrao said the new vendor has committed to removing the leaves and cleaning the pool before it freezes. Hopkins said the city also has a robotic pool cleaner and expects to treat the water with chemicals before closing the pool for the season.
Some City Council members have raised concerns that debris sitting in the pool could stain its bottom. Hopkins said he does not expect that to happen.
"It's going to be a great place for years to come," he said.
The situation highlights the challenges the city has faced in restoring the popular swimming spot, which had been shuttered for several years before its reconstruction. For residents who waited through the closure, the sight of green water and fallen leaves is an unwelcome coda to the pool's first season back â and a reminder that the facility's long-term upkeep depends on contractors who, in this case, did not deliver.
City officials say they are focused on getting the pool covered and cleaned before winter sets in, with the new vendor expected to handle both tasks. The exact date the cover will arrive remains uncertain, but Hopkins said he is pressing for the earlier end of the estimate.