The Cocoyea Swimming Pool is expected to reopen by September, following delays that the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Phillip Watts, says stem from mismanagement and administrative setbacks under the previous government.
Watts made the disclosure in Parliament on Friday in response to a question from San Fernando East MP Brian Manning.
Outlining the timeline, the minister said the facility was reopened in January 2023 but closed again in November 2023 after a broken check valve flooded the pump room.
According to Watts, a contract was awarded in November 2024 for repairs, with completion initially scheduled for April 2025.
However, he said further changes were made to the project.
“Apparently, they were confused. They didn’t, they wasn’t sure about what they was doing (SIC). So a next supplemental agreement was awarded for $1,836,956.25 in April, one month after within the same contract period.”
Watts said the additional variations contributed to continued delays, leaving the facility non-operational.
“The pool remained closed to date because what I’m hearing from the engineers at the Ministry of Sport is there’s further variation. The pool cannot be open. So, from 2023 to now this pool cannot be functional and so the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs is currently developing a new scope of works for the repairs of the swimming pool.”
He said the ministry now expects the entire process, from procurement to completion, to take around five months.
“The entire procurement process, San Fernando East, through to award of a contract and subsequent completion of the project should take approximately five months and should be completed in 2026 September. The pool will be reopened upon completion of the project and in an effort to avoid any further closure, the Ministry is proposing to enter into a retainer contract agreement with a suitable service provider to maintain the pool facility.”
The Cocoyea Swimming Pool, first commissioned in 2007 under the administration of then Prime Minister Patrick Manning, has long been presented as a flagship community sports facility for south Trinidad.
Over the years, however, the site fell into disrepair and was eventually closed, raising recurring questions about maintenance and public infrastructure management.
In 2023, the then administration allocated $1.137 million to rehabilitate the facility. Works included repairs to the roof, bleachers, plumbing, electrical systems, and pumping infrastructure before the pool was reopened to the public.
Despite those interventions, the facility has continued to face operational setbacks, with officials now pointing to a further round of works and revised timelines for its full return to service.
