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Gorman Park Pool | Kansas City, MO

Wave Divider

Project Outline

Named after conservationist Anita B. Gorman, Gorman Park Pool underwent a top-to-bottom reconstruction in 2018 after sitting closed for two years. The facility’s scale and advanced state of decay required a degree of restoration work that far exceeded any prior renovations in the pool’s history.

  • Renovation Goals: The city aimed to salvage a massive, 10,000 sq. ft. shotcrete structure plagued by delaminating plaster, failing tiles, and crumbling concrete gutters to ensure it remains operational for decades.
  • Services Selected: To address the unstable substrate, the crew managed a structural pool recovery involving manual plaster removal and 40,000 psi water jetting before rendering the entire vessel with High Early Mortar.
  • Background: Originally operated by the YMCA until 2016, the property was purchased by the City of Kansas City, Missouri, which initiated the historic restoration to revitalize the facility for public use.
An empty, neglected pool with dirty water at the bottom. Snow surrounds the area. Dark cross patterns on the pool walls. A somber, abandoned feel.
An empty, neglected pool with dirty water at the bottom. Snow surrounds the area. Dark cross patterns on the pool walls. A somber, abandoned feel.
An empty, drained swimming pool with rough, chipped concrete surface and scattered debris, evoking a feeling of abandonment and disrepair.
An empty, drained swimming pool with rough, chipped concrete surface and scattered debris, evoking a feeling of abandonment and disrepair.
A worker in protective gear uses a high-pressure water jet to remove surface layers from concrete. The environment appears industrial and dusty.
A worker in protective gear uses a high-pressure water jet to remove surface layers from concrete. The environment appears industrial and dusty.

Project Specifications:

  • Location: Kansas City, Missouri
  • Scale: Nearly 10,000 Square Feet (water surface area)
  • Delivery: Completely renovating the historic municipal facility, including extreme-pressure surface preparation and structural gutter reconstruction
  • Equipment or Materials Utilized: 40,000 psi Ultra-High-Pressure Water Jetting, High Early Mortar, frost-proof tile, and the INTER-GLASS® Reinforced Composite System
  • Area Type: Municipal City Pool
  • Timeline: Completed in 2018
An empty swimming pool under construction shows a partially tiled edge with a "4 ft" depth marker and a small paintbrush lying on the concrete.
An empty swimming pool under construction shows a partially tiled edge with a "4 ft" depth marker and a small paintbrush lying on the concrete.
Outdoor swimming pool under a clear blue sky, surrounded by trees. A pool building with a sloped roof is on the right. The scene is calm and inviting.
Outdoor swimming pool under a clear blue sky, surrounded by trees. A pool building with a sloped roof is on the right. The scene is calm and inviting.

Challenges Solved

  • Massive Scale:  With nearly 10,000 square feet of surface area, the pool was a significant structural undertaking for reconstruction.
  • Multiple Plaster Delamination:  Virtually all of the top layer of plaster had released from the substrate and had to be manually removed.
  • Compromised Substrate:  The original base layer of plaster was found to be soft and deteriorated in many areas, necessitating aggressive removal.
  • Gutter System Decay:  The concrete throughout the gutter areas was badly deteriorated, requiring specialized reconstruction before any finish could be applied.

Special Considerations

  • UHP Surface Preparation:  Our team utilized 40,000 psi Water Jetting to prepare the original plaster layer and remove large sections of failing material, ensuring a sound base for bonding.
  • Structural Rendering:  High Early Mortar was used to render the entire pool and gutter perimeter to restore the structural profile of the vessel.
  • Manual Gutter Forming:  During the render process, the gutter edge was manually formed with specialized tools to create a dedicated ‘Hand Hold’ edge for swimmer safety.
  • Precision Finishing:  The project included new frost-proof tiled racing lanes and tiled edged expansion joints, finalized with a non-porous INTER-GLASS® interior.

From Our Team

“This restoration will keep the pool in operation for decades to come… The existing surface condition… made a simple re-surfacing process impractical and impossible.”

Like what you see? Contact us for your upcoming project!
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