Del Rio seeks firms for Buena Vista pool rebuild, upgrades

Families waiting for Buena Vista Pool to return got a clearer picture of what Del Rio wants at 1300 Kings Way: not a quick fix, but a full rebuild with the old pool and related infrastructure torn out and replaced. The city’s request for qualifications seeks engineering and architectural firms to handle evaluation, design and construction-phase services, and the plan calls for a new pool built of reinforced pneumatically applied concrete with slip-resistant concrete decks, playscapes, interactive water features and possibly slides.

The city moved the project forward after Del Rio City Council authorized the advertisement on Feb. 10 in a 6-0-1 vote, with Councilman Randy Quinones abstaining. The request was posted on March 26, and statements of qualifications were due by 2 p.m. CST on June 11. Any submittal after that deadline was to be returned unopened, and the city said it would not pay preparation costs or guarantee a contract award.

Buena Vista Pool is one of Del Rio’s two municipal pools, along with Moore Park Pool, and the rebuild has already been tied to city funding plans. Earlier budget discussions included a proposed $1.5 million from certificate-of-obligation proceeds for demolition and reconstruction of Buena Vista Pool. City officials also discussed the project in May as part of more than 25 active city projects, placing it among the more visible capital improvements now moving through Del Rio’s pipeline.

The solicitation makes clear that the work must comply with Texas Administrative Codes and standards, which means the next steps will be shaped by formal public procurement rules as much as by design goals. That matters for a project that city leaders have framed as reconstruction rather than a simple repair. Del Rio already invested in both pool facilities with restroom rehabilitation work at Buena Vista Pool and Moore Park Pool in 2022 and 2023, and this project would push that effort much further.

For swimmers, parents and nearby residents, the plan points toward a more modern recreational space at Buena Vista, one that could broaden how the pool is used once the design and construction phases are complete. The city is now looking for the firm that will turn that vision into plans, permits and, eventually, a rebuilt pool at the heart of a familiar neighborhood site.