EATONVILLE, Fla. — When the construction workers are done for the day, Ruthri Critton visits the place that holds lifelong memories she created as a child.  

A community pool in Eatonville that has been closed for years due to neglect will soon reopen after one company saw the need and stepped up to bring it back to life.

What You Need To Know

  • A local company is helping to restore the town of Eatonville's community pool 

  • The pool had been closed for several years due to lack of maintenance, disrepair and being out of ADA compliance

  • All Seasons Pools is building a new community pool, free of charge

  • The pool is expected to be completed by the end of May, just in time for summer break

“There’s so much value in a place as small as a pool. The memories you create as a kid, friendship that you build, they hold so much value,” said Critton, an Eatonville resident.

A fifth-generation descendant of one of Eatonville founders, Critton said the pool wasn’t just used for hot summers, it was also a community staple.  

“I had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with some of the council members who are also a part of this community and know how important extracurricular and recreational activities are for our children," Critton said. "Not to just keep them out of trouble, but to build their skill set."   

The town's pool had been closed for several years due to lack of maintenance, disrepair and being out of Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

The Eatonville Town Council recently took steps to find solutions to get the pool open again.

Donald Garden, with All Seasons Pools in Sanford, said he saw the town had trouble finding a company to take on the project, so he stepped in and immediately got crews to work.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Garden, who is All Seasons Pool's chief operating officer. "How often in your life do you have the opportunity to help an entire community as a company? You’re not just helping one individual. And then, at the same time, how does that align with actually having the means to do it and the partners in the industry that are willing to get invested in it with you and help you bring it to the finish line?"

Garden said the project's cost will likely be around $400,000, but his company is not charging the town to build the pool.

The company started construction in January, and since then the existing pool has been completely demolished and new tile has been installed. Garden said the next step is laying the deck.

“We’re probably looking at a two-week window," he said. "After two to three weeks, we’ll have a brand new, modern-looking pool."

Critton — who lives only two blocks down from the pool and is a stay-at-home mom who also watches her nephew — said she can’t wait for the day she can make the same kind of memories she did at the pool as a kid with her own children.

“Whatever floaties they have to get, they’re going to the pool, we’re all going to the pool,” she said.

The pool is expected to be completed by the end of May, just in time for summer break.