Portland boots contractor over delays with Riverton pool repairs
It has been three years since the Riverton Community Pool, seen here in May, closed for renovations. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
The city of Portland has terminated its contract with the construction company it hired to complete repairs to the Riverton pool at Talbot Community School, a development that could add further delays to the beleaguered project.
After several months of stalled work, the city attorney’s office sent a letter Wednesday to Freeport-based Doten’s Construction informing the company of its decision, and city staff will now seek a different contractor to complete the job.
The Riverton pool closed in 2023 after structural issues were found, and the project has stretched on as more problems have been discovered. Costs have nearly doubled from the original estimate of $2.3 million.
According to the letter, Doten’s was hired in February 2025 to complete work at the pool, but by Nov. 25, work had been suspended.
City spokesperson Jessica Grondin said the city then spent the following few months investigating its options and identifying a path forward, but there has been no activity since the end of March. A previous staff update said the stop work order was issued to investigate an electrical grounding issue and safety concerns.
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Portland’s Riverton pool overhaul will take another $1.5 million to complete
Ethan Hipple, director of parks, recreation and facilities, informed councilors of the contract decision on Thursday, stating that after “multiple delays and technical errors” it became clear to staff that Doten’s “was not carrying out the project in a timely or economical manner.”
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“While some progress was made on the project over the past couple years, Doten’s failed to demonstrate the capacity or expertise to see this project successfully through to completion,” the email said.
When reached Thursday, a representative from Doten’s said it was the first they had heard of the contract termination and they were not prepared to provide comment.
The Riverton Community Pool required construction of this new concrete wall at the deep end of the pool. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
Hipple said staff will issue a new request for proposals in the coming weeks to find a new contractor, and that the city is still hopeful that if a new contractor is secured soon, the pool could be back online by next summer.
Repair work at the pool, which was built in the 1970s, has faced a number of setbacks and delays stemming from unforeseen issues with the structure. The list of work has included major fixes to the pool walls, a completely redesigned gutter system, regrading the bottom to meet modern standards, and new floor drains, which necessitated jackhammering the pool deck and retiling.
Original estimates for the project put the cost at about $2.3 million, but as issues mounted the budget grew to $3 million. In May, city officials were asked to OK another $1.5 million to complete the reconstruction.
The city’s letter to Doten’s says that the city has paid for all work and materials provided before work was paused. Grondin said the recent funding approved by the council is what is needed to pay its next contractor.
The loss of the Riverton pool has put pressure on the Reiche Community School pool in Portland’s West End, which is also aging, to absorb the local demand.
The city’s new, $12 million Rising Eddy Community Pool opened earlier this month on Douglass Street, but the renovated outdoor space is seasonal.
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Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. More by Andrew Rice
