After more than five years without one, the city of Watertown's Thompson Park once again has a pool.  However, over that time, this $3 million project came with its fair share of controversy.

"There was a definite need to hurry up the construction last fall," City Councilor Lisa Ruggiero said.

City elections were held last fall, and the council was losing two members and the mayor. Their likely replacements for 2020, all had spoken out against the cost of the pool, and of possibly shutting the project down entirely. Ruggiero was a holdover supporter.

"That's why it got done a lot quicker than expected," she said.

The city's new council and mayor helped cut ribbon on the project Friday. They tell Spectrum News that the new pool turned out wonderfully.

"The pool is here now and we're going to focus on going forward. This is an asset to the community," Watertown Mayor Jeff Smith said. He pointed out that the pool can highlight all the other activities and adventures, like the zoo and trails, that the park has to offer.

However, citing unexpected costs caused by COVID-19, the council effectively decided the Thompson Park pool would replace another pool in the city.

Just Monday, it voted to permanently fill in the pool at the Fairgrounds, shutting it down.

That's why a group of pool supporters attended Friday's opening. They're thrilled with the new pool, but plan to continue to fight for the Fairgrounds pool and another one on the city's north side.

"We need to keep all three in the neighborhoods,” Debbie Dermady of Watertown said. “They foster community, the neighborhood pools.”

One potential ace up the group's sleeve could be the original deed to the Fairgrounds land. More investigation work needs to be done, but there is language about keeping an active playground and pool at the site or the land goes back to its original family ownership.

The group is working to figure it all out.

CitiBus of Watertown is providing several daily bus rides to the pool through September 5. The free service also picks up and drops off people at the city's two closed pool sites, at the Fairgrounds and on the Northside.