{"id":201238,"date":"2026-04-17T21:47:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/201238\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T21:47:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:47:34","slug":"construction-kicks-off-on-13-4m-haffen-park-pool-complex-reconstruction-in-baychester-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/201238\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction kicks off on $13.4M Haffen Park Pool Complex reconstruction in Baychester \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"City\t\t\t<\/p>\n

City and state officials break ground on Haffen Pool reconstruction.<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks \/ Daniel Avila<\/p>\n

City and state officials have broken ground on a $13.4 million project to renovate the Haffen Park Pool Complex in Baychester.\n<\/p>\n

The reconstruction will modernize the aging complex with a full rebuild of the bathhouse, upgraded pool infrastructure, and new ADA-accessible features aimed at improving access and safety<\/a> for Bronx residents.<\/p>\n

Plans include renovated locker rooms, showers, and restrooms, along with new lighting, furnishings, and upgraded mechanical systems. The pool deck will be fully reconstructed, and the filtration system will be replaced with modern equipment housed in a new enclosure designed to improve maintenance and efficiency.<\/p>\n

The project is being funded through a $5 million grant<\/a> from the state\u2019s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative, administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, along with $8.4 million from Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

\"BathhouseBathhouse facilities in the Haffen Pool Park Complex that are set to be upgraded with the $13.4 million reconstruction.Photo courtesy of NYC Parks \/ Daniel Avila<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project at Haffen Park will transform a long-standing recreational center into a modern, accessible facility that will continue to serve Bronx families for generations to come,\u201d Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough our Unplug and Play initiative, we are continuing to create opportunities for New Yorkers to stay active, connect with their communities and enjoy the outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opened in 1972, the Haffen Pool complex includes an intermediate pool and a wading pool and serves an average of 18,000 swimmers each summer. The upcoming reconstruction represents the first significant capital investment in the site since its opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past fifty years Haffen Pool has been a cornerstone of summer life in the East Bronx, but it hasn\u2019t seen a major upgrade until today,\u201d said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project is about more than modernizing a facility \u2014 it\u2019s about delivering a safe, accessible, and welcoming space where New Yorkers can cool off, connect with their community, and learn important water safety skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local and state officials, including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and Councilmember Kevin C. Riley, joined the groundbreaking ceremony alongside NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte, DASNY CEO Roberto Rodriguez, and Bronx Community Board 12 District Manager George Torres.<\/p>\n

Heastie said the plan to renovate Haffen Pool has been years in the making, dating back to the administrations of former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and former Mayor Bill de Blasio.<\/p>\n

Haffen Pool will be closed during construction and is expected to reopen by summer 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"City and state officials break ground on Haffen Pool reconstruction. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks \/ Daniel Avila…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":201239,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[21975,128,1762,10691,79842,79843,79844,79845,79846,9,24,63,79847,129,131,130,6707],"class_list":{"0":"post-201238","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-bronx","8":"tag-baychester","9":"tag-bronx","10":"tag-capital","11":"tag-carl-heastie","12":"tag-haffen-park","13":"tag-haffen-pool","14":"tag-jamaal-bailey","15":"tag-jessenia-aponte","16":"tag-kevin-c-riley","17":"tag-new-york","18":"tag-new-york-city","19":"tag-nyc","20":"tag-nyswims","21":"tag-the-bronx","22":"tag-the-bronx-headlines","23":"tag-the-bronx-news","24":"tag-vanessa-gibson"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}