The perfect addition to Virginia-Highland: Virginia-Highland is a vibrant and walkable neighborhood with fantastic restaurants, bars, small businesses, and public spaces. However, one glaring absence is an outdoor, community pool. Other pools in Atlanta are crowded, expensive, or far away. An outdoor pool in Virginia-Highland would serve as the perfect community gathering space during Atlanta’s long, hot summers.

The optimal use for the Field of Dreams: The Field of Dreams, located at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Ponce de Leon Place (diagonally across from Virginia Highland Elementary), would serve as a perfect location for an outdoor pool. The land is owned by Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and was identified as excess during its facilities master planning process. APS has decided to maintain ownership of the land but they are open to leasing or co-develop the land for projects that would benefit the community.

A non-profit run by community volunteers: The VaHi Pool Association, a group of neighbors advocating for the pool’s development, is proposing that APS lease the Field of Dreams to a non-profit. The non-profit would raise funds from the community to develop and manage the pool. Other pools in Atlanta, such as Garden Hills, Chastain Park, and Piedmont Park operate under a very similar model on land owned by the city.

A year-round asset for the community: The pool would be designed in a way so that it could be covered with a temporary structure during the winter months to allow for year-round swimming.