More than 1.5 million swimming pools to close as swimming pool owner says ‘it was never a priority’
HOLLISTER, Ill.
— The owner of a popular swimming pool near Chicago says he is shutting the pool down amid rising crime.
Hollister Pool, located in the city’s North Loop, is scheduled to close this week due to a spike in reported burglaries and assaults, and has already canceled the event for next week.
Hollywood-based Hollister Holdings Inc. said in a statement Monday that it had made “a decision to suspend all pool operations” and that “all of the scheduled events and events planned for the future” will be canceled.
The company said it has also agreed to donate $50,000 to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, which was named in the lawsuit filed Monday.
The Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Holly Miller, an attorney for the Hollister Group, said the company has decided to cancel the Huali Pool in response to increased crime in the area.
Miller said the pool is scheduled for a two-day closure in June and is still being audited by a third party.
“We are trying to keep it as safe as possible,” Miller said.
The company said in the statement that it is considering closing the Hinali Pool entirely.
“This is a very unfortunate situation and we will work closely with our legal counsel and the local law enforcement officials to ensure that this never happens again,” the statement said.