Santa Fe Recommends Replacing Closed Salvador Perez Pool
City staff propose a new pool after an assessment found repairs would cost nearly as much as rebuilding the 70-year-old facility.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Swimming
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Santa Fe officials recommended completely replacing the closed Salvador Perez Pool, which is more than 70 years old. Community Services Director Sandra Emory gave the City Council an update on Tuesday, and the council took no formal action but expressed support for the plan.
Why it matters
An assessment found that repairing the pool would cost almost as much as building a new one, and the pool, as built, is past the end of its useful life. The decision affects residents who rely on the city's swimming facilities while the pool remains closed.
The Salvador Perez Pool is more than 70 years old and has been closed, with an assessment finding repairs nearly as costly as replacement. City staff are preparing a $261,870 budget amendment to fund design, with the council set to consider it in December.
The players
City of Santa Fe
The City of Santa Fe is the municipal government that owns and operates the Salvador Perez Pool and is pursuing its replacement.
The details
An assessment compared the cost of repairing the pool with the cost of building a new one and found the two options nearly equal. City staff are preparing a budget amendment resolution to fund the design of a replacement, which the City Council is scheduled to consider at its next meeting in December.
Timeline
Tuesday (before November 14, 2026): Community Services Director Sandra Emory updated the City Council on the pool replacement plan.
December 2026: The City Council is scheduled to consider the $261,870 design budget amendment at its next meeting.
Season Trajectory
The decision to replace rather than repair the 70-year-old Salvador Perez Pool follows a pattern in which aging public aquatic facilities are rebuilt once repair estimates approach the cost of new construction. Santa Fe's move positions the city to restore swimming access, though the timeline depends on the council's December budget vote.
Residents who use the Salvador Perez Pool will not have access to it until the city completes a replacement, and the design funding vote in December determines whether that project moves forward. The council's approval of the $261,870 amendment would be the next concrete step toward restoring swimming access.
The takeaway
When a public facility nears the end of its useful life, a repair estimate close to rebuild cost is a strong signal that replacement is the more practical path. Readers should watch the council's December vote for the next concrete funding step.
What happens next
The City Council is scheduled to consider the $261,870 design budget amendment at its next meeting in December 2026.
Further reading
Explore more swimming news on the Santa Fe pool replacement and related local aquatic facility developments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Santa Fe New Mexican.
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