Damn. Just damn.
The day after Christmas, officials at the University of Georgia released its decision to stand by its plan to demolish Legion Pool, a swimming pool that has been a place for summer splashes and dives since 1936.
Now on the verge of turning 90 years old, UGA reports it still plans to demolish the pool and replace it with an outdoor recreational spot with seating and standing room that can accommodate about 4,600 people.
The 150-foot-long pool — not visible from the roadways — is located off South Lumpkin Street near Baxter Street.
A statement from UGA that was packed with reasons to support the demolition was crafted by the UGA Marketing & Communications and released by James Hataway, the Tennessee native who is senior director for Integrated Media Communications.
Now I have far more memories from the Riverbend Apartments pool, but Legion Pool and Legion Field both hold great memories for me from back in the 90s. Sad to see history fade away with progress…or more parking.
RIP, Legion Pool.
Damn, couldn’t they find somewhere else to put whatever they gonna build. So sad RIP Legion. So many bikinis back in the day!
Are they getting rid of the Legion Pool parking lot as well? My uncle’s parking pass is located there and I hate to lose another tailgating haven. I was uprooted from the Boggs Hall lot a few years ago due to new construction. They stuck me in the South Campus Deck at Myers Quad. Myers Quad isn’t a bad spot except Game Day is located there when ESPN shows up which takes away the tailgating area closest to the parking deck.
The worst part about getting out of being moved to that deck is trying to get out of it after the game. It took me an hour and a half to get from the second level onto Lumpkin after the Bama game. Brutal. I hope the Legion Pool passes aren’t moved there as well.
I doubt they remove the parking lot unless they build another (eye roll) parking deck.
Honestly, until some of this started on social media, I didn’t even know Legion Pool still existed. I think I stepped foot in there once. Probably I should have spent much of my freshman spring quarter there for the scenery.
Parking lots are forever. Only exception is they become more revue generating parking decks. It’s a rule I’m pretty sure 😇
The article I read indicated more green space for the amphitheater.
I would have had better grades my freshman year if they got rid of it in the early ’80s.
I think I spent my time either at the UGA golf course or watching ball on the old bleachers at Foley. What was I thinking?
Ah yes, ee. Youth is wasted on the young.
Saw REM play a free concert there in ‘84 or ‘85. Before they were on commercial radio. Thought they sucked. LOL!
Was a lifeguard there in the mid-90s. Sad to see it go. I’ll take a stab that the ‘greenspace’ turns into MOAR DORMS sooner rather than later.
Old pools are really difficult to mainatain and tend to become unappealing to swim in. That being said I haven’t seen that pool since 1979🤣. I’m hoping the option for new recreational space could include an updated pool? But probably not due to upkeep and lifeguards,etc…
I always heard it referred to as Brumby Beach in my time in Athens due to the abundance of bikini clad coeds found there. Life was sure good back then.
That was the green space between Brumby and Russell.