On Sunday, June 20, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, decked out in swimming trunks and surrounded by kiddie pools (without water!) joined Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, Council Members Steve Levin and Brad Lander and community members to protest the City’s plan to close the Douglass-Degraw (“Double D”) pool in Gowanus/Boerum Hill.

The City says it will save $1.4 million by shutting the pool and three others this summer, but the closing of the “Double D”—which is within short walking distance from the Gowanus, Wyckoff Gardens and 572 Warren NYCHA housing developments, offers free recreation and swimming lessons, has a wading pool for young children and is popular with thousands of neighborhood children and their families—would leave the nearest pool in Red Hook.

“As someone who grew up in poverty and appreciated every recreational opportunity available to me and family, I know how important it is for kids and their parents to have these options during long, hot Brooklyn summers,” said BP Markowitz. “We know times are tough, and we know that we have to find creative solutions to solve the City’s budget crisis. But let’s not go off the ‘deep end’ here. Let’s find a way to keep the ‘Double D’ open—on the ‘double.’”

“As a Member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I understand the importance of providing resources to our Brooklyn students to keep them active and healthy so they can be productive citizens for our city,” said Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. “The Douglass-Degraw Pool provides a recreational haven for our students and community as a whole. It is imperative that we continue to invest in these tools to benefit the public. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ‘more than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight or obese, and nearly half of all New York City elementary school children are not at a healthy weight.’ Therefore, we must utilize all available resources to combat the obesity problem. This is another reason why the Douglass-Degraw Pool should remain open.”

“The community needs this pool,” said Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman. “There are too few recreational facilities now, and shutting the ‘Double D’ pool, just as the summer season begins, deprives this community of one of the most popular facilities in the neighborhood. Children and their families look forward to once again enjoying this outdoor treasure. Let’s find the dollars and not disappoint our kids!”

“The Douglass-Degraw Pool is a wonderful resource our community cannot afford to lose,” said Council Member Stephen Levin. “The pool serves children of all ages, from babies and toddlers in the wading pool, to children learning to swim, to teens looking to cool off and let out some steam, and even adults who need to relax in the heat. I am happy to stand with my fellow elected officials to ask the city to save our pool!”

“The Douglass-Degraw Pool is a summer recreational resource used by local residents of all ages, and would leave a tremendous void in the community if closed,” said Council Member Letitia James. “Let’s especially think of the City’s children, who look forward to swimming. For their health and wellness, the ‘Double D’ pool must be a funding priority.”

“We at Friends of Douglass/Greene Park are very saddened by the prospect of the ‘Double D’ pool remaining closed this year,” said Jo Anne Simon, founding board member. “We see firsthand the high volume usage of this pool and the high volume joy it produces in the children and adults who frequent it. It is a much needed community resource, even more so this year with cuts to so many other programs throughout the area.”