Gaffey Street Pool Restoration Plans to be Presented Next Week

The graffiti-covered Gaffey Street Pool at Angels Gate Park as seen from satellite. (Photo: Bing Maps)

A public hearing on the restoration of the Gaffey Street Pool is being held next Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the San Pedro Regional Library.

Built in 1943, the once-popular pool at Angels Gate Park was used by Fort McArthur troops before it was opened to the public in 1954. It was taken over by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks in 1982 and closed 15 years later. Over the years, the pool has deteriorated, become covered in graffiti, and changing rooms at the site have fallen apart.

The Fort McArthur Military Museum has long-pushed for the preservation and refurbishment of the pool, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Five years ago, the Port of Los Angeles pledged to use $7 million of China Shipping mitigation funds to restore it, bring it up to code and construct a bathhouse so the pool can reopen and be used once again by the public during the summer months.

The April 23 hearing will be an opportunity for residents to see initial design plans and pitch their ideas.