Arguably one of the city’s best-kept secrets, Brennan Pool — actually two pools — is a gem that will likely get a higher profile once a new recreation center opens in a couple years.
Prolific Detroit architect Albert Kahn designed the Brennan Pool House, which has locker rooms and a space for indoor programming. The long, Tudor Revival facility with its classic wood-trimmed window bays fits in with the many similarly styled buildings that dot Rouge Park. It opened in 1929 and was the site of Olympic trials in 1956 and 1960. The Motor City was the United States’ nominee to host the Olympics an incredible four times between 1960 and 1972.
By 2011, the city’s inability to pay its bills led to the closure of the facility. It reopened three years later, just before the city emerged from bankruptcy. The Lear Corp. helped bankroll a $5.5 million renovation, restoring the pools and overhauling the locker rooms.
Now, another corporate benefactor has stepped up with a cash infusion. Detroit Pistons owner and prison phone company investor Tom Gores pledged $20 million to build a new 25,000-square-foot city recreation center in Rouge Park.
Some community groups object to the location of the expansion, which would require removing a stand of mature oak trees. A city official says construction is expected to start by the end of the year and be wrapped up by early 2026. The project is being managed by the Pistons in collaboration with the city.
Brennan Pool
Address: 21415 Plymouth Road
Architecture: Tudor Revival
History: Opened in 1929, the facility at Rouge Park features two Olympic-size pools that hosted trials for the global games in 1956 and 1960.
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