There have been complaints from teenagers in Gretna about the local public pool being permanently closed at Peterson Park after being in business for more than 50 years. It first opened on May 30, 1970. The city’s reason for its removal is the pool’s aging infrastructure and the high cost of maintenance. The removal started on September 3, 2025. Since then, teenagers have been stuck using the YMCA indoor pool and outdoor water park with nowhere else to swim.
“The Peterson Park pool has been a landmark for our Gretna citizens for over 50 years,” Mayor Mike Evans stated in a press release. “It was a difficult decision to remove a facility that created so many great memories, but the financial reality was that continuing as it was designed was not a reasonable choice.”
Five days later, the City of Gretna released a statement explaining the reason for its demolition and also stated future plans that were being developed but not yet confirmed. However, months later, the city released another statement on Jan. 28, stating that they planned on turning the plot of land into an ‘‘interactive water feature’’ and would have water elements, seating, shaded areas and other interactive inclusions.
Later in the statement, the city explained that it was accepting donations. Longtime Gretna supporter Randy Sump will match donations up to $150,000 overall.
“When I was a kid, the Gretna Swimming Pool in Peterson Park and the Gretna Bowl were really the only places in town for kids to hang out,” Sump stated. “So when I saw the Gretna Swimming Pool being torn down, a sense of sadness set in. I immediately hoped there was a way to honor the memories of old Gretna while giving current and future Gretna kids a free, central place to meet, have fun, and make memories of their own.”
Sump has served on the Midlands Community Foundation board for 15 years and helped transition it into a public charity. Not only that, but he is also a representative of Oak Leaf Enterprises, Inc., which is a business that deals in land development, retail and office spaces. He is a lifelong resident of Gretna.
As a part of this project, the city will have all the funds raised go directly to the Gretna Community Splash Pad Fund, which is a fund designated for the Gretna Community Foundation that is also an affiliated fund of the Midlands Community Foundation. When the construction begins, the community will be given opportunities to learn about the expected completion date and the proposed designs that they are putting together. Any updates on the project will be posted to the city website at www.gretnane.org and the City of Gretna, Nebraska, Facebook page.
The city is also still accepting donations for the Splash Pad project at https://midlandscommunity.org/fund/gretna-community-splash-pad-fund/.
