Closed to the public since 2019, the Givens District Park Pool reopens this Saturday, June 7, at a 10am ribbon-cutting ceremony. Located in East Austin, the Givens Pool served the historically African American community until its closure due to leaks in the shell, according to D’Anne Williams, project manager for the city of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
“The pool, originally built in 1958, had developed leaks that repairs could not completely address, so the pool was closed after the 2019 swim season,” Williams told the Chronicle. “With the voter-approved bond in 2018, the Parks Department initiated the project to redevelop the pool. Construction began May 30, 2023.”
The bond approved by voters that Williams mentioned provided about $7.5 million in funds dedicated to the park. Plus, according to Williams, an additional $852,000 of funding was given for the construction of the pool. Updates to the pool include new lighting, an additional sidewalk connection to 12th Street, a zero-entry activity pool, new tile, and updated bathhouses.
The Givens Recreation Center, which the pool is a part of, serves the community by hosting youth & teen programs and community events such as holiday dinners, explains Williams. This is why the community had a say in the renovations. According to the city of Austin, there were four community surveys between 2021 and 2022 that asked for input on the overall vision, features, and aesthetics of the redevelopment.
The 40-acre Givens District Park was first established in the early 20th century. It was acquired by the city in 1957 and then renamed to Givens in 1962, after Dr. Everett H. Givens, who was a World War I veteran, civic leader, and one of Austin’s first Black dentists. When the park opened in 1959, it was the second segregated park for Black Austin residents.
Dr. Givens fought for equity in Austin since 1946, when he sued the University of Texas Board of Regents after they denied him to the school for a dental course. Givens worked to connect East Austin across what is now I-35 by fighting for playground equipment as well as improved streets, buses, and bridges. Additionally, Givens pushed at county commissioner meetings to make commissioners hire Black deputies and got the city to hire its first Black firefighters. After Givens passed in 1962, the park was renamed after him for the work he did in East Austin. In 2022, Givens District Park was named a Lone Star Legacy Park, which is a park that holds special importance to the local community and to the state of Texas.
After Saturday’s ribbon-cutting, the city will host a community get-together featuring free food, games, and giveaways until noon. Following its official opening, the pool’s hours will be Monday through Friday (but closed Wednesdays) from 10am to 10pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 8pm. 
Givens Pool Ribbon Cutting
Saturday 7, Givens District Park
This article appears in June 6 • 2025.