LA JOLLA, Calif. (KGTV) -- The 90-year-old La Jolla Children's Pool is looking to get a much-needed, major upgrade. The first steps to make that happen are now in motion.
When you visit the iconic La Jolla Children's Pool, you can feel the history.
"These structures are almost a hundred years old," La Jolla Parks and Beaches Group Board Member Phyllis Minick said.
But instead of antique beauty, it has become a bit of an eyesore in some parts. The seawall's original concrete is all gone, the low walls are cracking, and then there are the rusty railings.
"If you just touch that and happen to cut your finger, it's instant tetanus!" Minick said.
For more than six decades, 92-year-old Minick has called this area home. In 2018, she and her fellow board members of the La Jolla Parks and Beaches group raised funds and partnered with the City of San Diego to widen the sidewalks, where often, visitors almost got hit by cars.
"This became very, very dangerous," Minick said.
Now that they have improved the parking and walking situation on Coast Boulevard, Minick said their next focus is the actual pool structure itself.
"I want to bring this back to the glory days," Minick said.
This week, the La Jolla Parks and Beaches group approved an $11,258 study to find out the scope and cost of repairs and maintenance. The money comes from left-over funds from the 2018 sidewalk expansion project.
"I have lived to see the sidewalk happen, so maybe that's a good sign," Minick said.
Minick said she is hopeful that she will see a renovated Children's Pool in her lifetime. She wants visitors to continue to enjoy the pool for another 90 years.
"They can enter the water, and swim safely, and add that dimension to their lives that they may not have any other way," Minick said.
La Jolla engineer Matt Mangano will conduct the study. It should take about a year to complete. After that, the group begins the fundraising efforts for the restoration.
