Pool with extra lanes wanted at proposed Aquatics Complex; YMCA contemplating constructing at website

The YMCA’s swimming pool has served the Grand Island space since 1979 and must be changed. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)

GRAND ISLAND – A swimming pool at a proposed Aquatics Complex funded by Good Life District funds ought to have eight to 10 lanes, a Grand Island YMCA spokesman mentioned. He additionally added that the YMCA is contemplating constructing a brand new facility adjoining to the location.

The description of the proposed Aquatics Complex offered on the Nov. 12 City Council assembly mentioned that the swimming pool would have three lanes. The Grand Island YMCA opened in 1979 and has supplied a swimming pool for the neighborhood for 46 years.

Pat O’Neill of Grand Island served on the YMCA’s board from 2019 to 2025. He is a spokesman for the YMCA concerning the proposed Aquatics Center and spoke on the Nov. 12 City Council assembly.

O’Neill mentioned that the Aquatics Center also needs to have a diving board and a heat water remedy pool. He added that the Aquatics Center may presumably have a slide and a splash pad.

The proposed price of the Aquatics Center and adjoining Fitness Center is $15 million, in keeping with the chief abstract for Woodsonia’s utility. City Council members mentioned on Nov. 12 that more cash wanted to be spent on the Aquatics Center. The estimated measurement for the Fitness and Aquatics Center and help facilities is 27,000 sq. ft.

“The best case scenario for the YMCA would be if the City and the developer would allow us to build a new, privately funded, YMCA next to the new aquatic center,” O’Neill mentioned.

“The YMCA has extensive experience in managing both the aquatics and other youth programs, and this would be an excellent location closer to the City of Grand Island’s population center that would allow us to serve our core demographic while expanding into new markets. In addition to sports and adult fitness, the YMCA provides child care and multiple health and fitness classes for seniors,” O’Neill mentioned.

“The Y has had several conversations with the past City Administrators and some conversations with the developer about building a YMCA at the Veteran’s Village. I think it would be a win-win for all involved. Woodsonia Real Estate has done great things with the Good Life District, and it looks like they will solve the pool issue that has faced the City of Grand Island for 30 years. The YMCA would be honored to be able to build on that and continue our service to the community,” O’Neill mentioned.

The elevated variety of lanes is required in order that the pool will be the location for highschool and YMCA Quicksilver swim group meets, for individuals who swim laps within the pool, and for swimming classes. O’Neill mentioned that the water temperature in a lap pool is roughly 77 levels, whereas the water temperature in a heat water remedy pool is about 88 levels.

“Our current pool is well past the end of its expected lifespan and has numerous issues. The pool concrete is in rough shape and the piping, pumps, filters and boilers are also needed to be replaced and or upgraded,” O’Neill mentioned.

The YMCA has a six-lane, 25-meter pool. Other Nebraska swimming pools are 25 yards lengthy, O’Neill mentioned.

“A new aquatics center would provide a place for city residents, swim teams, recreational swimmers and clubs to play, practice, and compete. Not only is aquatics a great recreational activity, but it is also a great rehabilitative option, and youth swim programs are growing rapidly. Swim lessons are vitally important in this area. With the prevalence of sandpits and other natural bodies of water, teaching kids to swim is an important and potentially life saving lesson,” O’Neill mentioned.

“A warm water therapy pool is designed to be somewhat shallow and warmer than a standard pool. This makes the pool ideal for use by those with limited mobility, the elderly, and people undergoing physical rehab. It also works well for small children in beginning swim lessons,” O’Neill mentioned.

He is at present on a committee to pick out the brand new YMCA CEO and is a liaison for aquatics. Prior to the YMCA Board, he was on the Quicksilver Swim Team board for 3 years.

He initially supplied to affix the YMCA board due to his  involvement with the YMCA Swim Team.

“Once I saw all of the other issues facing the YMCA, we had to spend a few years getting that back on track and sustainable,” he mentioned.

“Anyone involved in swimming or aquatics has known of the need for a new pool/aquatics center for decades,” O’Neill mentioned.

“Grand Island has been historically underserved when it comes to indoor aquatics. What I learned after getting on the YMCA board is how many people outside of that community desire a new aquatic facility or YMCA. It apparently comes up a lot in business and employee recruitment.  I have also learned that pools are usually built as a joint effort between YMCAs, cities, or school districts.  Most new pools in Nebraska and South Dakota have been an effort between two or three of those entities,” O’Neill mentioned.

In the mid-Nineties, the YMCA Board shaped an Aquatics Committee to look into developing a brand new swimming pool locally. At that point, the necessity for a heat water pool was expressed. The YMCA pool at the moment was saved at a cooler temperature for aggressive swimmers. The Aquatics Committee proposed building of an Aquatics Center on the south aspect of Grand Island Senior High School, simply south of the boys locker rooms.

The Aquatics Committee was not capable of proceed with the challenge, as a result of funding couldn’t be acquired. At that point, it was recommended that the YMCA would want to determine an endowment for upkeep of the Aquatics Center, as a result of Aquatics Centers could solely break even financially.

After that, a Grand Island doctor wrote letters to the editor of the Grand Island Independent, urging to neighborhood to assemble a brand new Aquatics Center. Her kids had competed on the Grand Island Senior High School swim group. Their household had beforehand lived in Arizona, and the standard of Aquatics Centers there exceeded the standard of the YMCA pool. The suggestion didn’t proceed due to lack of funding.

O’Neill mentioned the YMCA acquired a value estimate from Chief Construction of roughly $13 million for a brand new Aquatics Center.

“Adjusted for inflation it would be somewhere around $18 million to $20 million now,” O’Neill mentioned.

He described the usage of the YMCA pool.

“We see all age ranges and walks of life: lap swimmers in the morning, senior aqua aerobics mid morning, lap swim around noon, swim teams after school and evening and open swim at all times of day. We see a lot of kids under 18 and swimmers over 40,” O’Neill mentioned.

O’Neill identified that the Good Life District program in Grand Island was initiated with Woodsonia Real Estate’s utility to the state.

Mitch Roush, Director of Communications and Marketing for Grand Island Public Schools, mentioned that Grand Island Senior High School, Northwest High School, and Grand Island Senior High School take part on the Grand Island Senior High School swim group. He mentioned that there have been 30 to 35 swimmers on the group final 12 months, with the vast majority of athletes from Grand Island Senior High School.

The group has roughly 15 meets yearly and doesn’t should restrict the variety of contributors. The swim group season runs from the third week of November to the final week of February.

Included in Woodsonia’s Good Life District utility was a sports activities facility demand evaluation by Victus Advisors, a Utah sports activities consulting agency.

“Victus is of the opinion that a competitive aquatic center would not have the same economic impact potential as an indoor multi-use sports center,” the Victus Advisors research mentioned.

“If an aquatic center were built to accommodate both recreational and competitive use, a significantly larger and more expensive aquatic center would have to be built to provide both competitive and recreational pool areas. In addition, it should be noted that a public swim facility could have limited local/recreational access during large, competitive, weekend meets that utilize the entire facility,” the research mentioned.

Based on Victus’ analysis in aggressive aquatic facilities nationwide, these options are advisable (at a minimal) to host main swim meets: eight to 10 long-course lanes, convertible to as much as 26 quick course lanes; 50-meter by 25-yard pool dimensions, spectator seating capability of at the least 500 seats; and a small, shallow lesson pool that could possibly be used for functions together with heat water remedy.

According to the Woodsonia utility, “$15 million feels significantly under budget. The Confluence master plan envisioned an Indoor Aquatics and Community Center at approximately 250’ x 350’ (87,500 SF), including a diving well, seating for 300–500 spectators, and amenities comparable to today’s YMCA. For context, a smaller 38,900 SF facility recently built in Ames, Iowa, came in at $32 million. That comparison raises red flags about the adequacy of the proposed budget.”