City of Cranston votes to use $4M in ARPA funds to restore Budlong Pool

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — City officials voted to restore and repair the one of the largest outdoor pools in the nation, after four years of being closed.

Robert Ferri of Cranston City Council said they voted to allow up to $4 million of ARPA funds to build the new Budlong Pool.

“I am very happy we are not borrowing this money,” Ferri said. “It will save the city a lot of money.”

The decision comes after Mayor Ken Hopkins submitted a budget in March that provided “sufficient bond funds” designated for the project.

Hopkins initially said he put aside $350,000 of the American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA, funds to get the engineering design off the ground.

The pool has been closed since the start of the pandemic in 2020.