TROY — None of Lansingburgh resident Sara Vessio’s four children were around to swim in the original Knickerbacker pool. But they were among the first to take a dip in its long-awaited replacement.
“It’s very hot out today,” Vessio said with a laugh as she waded alongside her children in the shallow end. “All my girls either know how to swim or are learning how to swim, so this is perfect.”
The family was among a sweaty crowd of community members to swim at the $7.1 million Knickerbacker Aquatic Center after it opened to the public for the first time on Thursday. The eight-lane pool can accommodate up to 460 swimmers and is surrounded by a splash pad, bathhouse and lounge chairs. The new complex occupies a larger site than the original pool, which stood on the opposite side of Knickerbacker Park…