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Building the pool used for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis took 200 workers over four weeks to complete. But what happens to the pool now that the trials are over?
The competition pool will be disassembled, loaded onto four semis and trucked to Fort Wayne, where it will be the main attraction at a future $50 million community wellness center operated by not-for-profit Fort Wayne Swimming and Wellness Alliance Inc.
The organization says it has secured the funding to purchase the pool, but the purchase price is not being disclosed.
President John Gibson told IIB Business of Health Reporter Kylie Veleta that the project will not only support the health of the community but also provide needed space for young swimmers, as well as aqua fitness and aqua therapy.
“There’s some people maybe in the area doing them right now but they rent space from hotel pools,” he said. “I mean, there’s no place to do it.”
A rendering of the Fort Wayne Swimming and Wellness center’s exterior. (Image provided)
Fort Wayne Swimming and Wellness is now leading the charge to raise the rest of the funding needed for the new facility. The not-for-profit says the region has far outgrown its pool space. Greater Indianapolis has 16 50-meter pools. Fort Wayne only has one, and it’s used by nine high schools.
A Purdue University Fort Wayne study says the wellness center would generate a $20 million economic impact annually, bringing visitors to the area for competitions that would boost local hotels and restaurants, as well as creating up to 250 jobs.
“We know we’ve got a big lift and a lot of work ahead of us, but we feel really confident we’re going to get this thing off the ground and make it happen,” said Gibson. “Fort Wayne just does not know what it’s missing out on right now. We don’t have the facility to be able to host major swim and dive competitions, whether it’s club, high school, [or] collegiate. It’s untapped right now.”
Plans for the wellness center also call for a second smaller pool for swim lessons, aqua fitness and aqua therapy.
The organization’s website notes that the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina—a city similar in size and demographic to Fort Wayne—opened in 2011 and has generated $182 million in economic impact in the first 10 years of operation.
Gibson said the not-for-profit is in the early stages of its campaign and specific details and a location for the new facility have not yet been finalized.
The organization is exploring partnerships with local companies for naming rights for the center, which is expected to open by 2027 and make big waves in the region.
“That allure, that attraction of having that Olympic trial pool with the Olympic trial starting blocks and all the insignias and logos and everything, it’s pretty exciting for everyone here in Fort Wayne,” said Gibson.
In the meantime, a local business owner in Fort Wayne volunteered his warehouse space to store the pool until it can be assembled at the new wellness center.
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Great idea to boost competitive swimming and community use of the Trials’ pool. Hats off to the warehouse owner willing to store until needed.
wonder if there was any consideration to have the pool up and allow public to swim there for small fee and have the dollars go to local parks foundation to fund swim lessons at parks?
Also could’ve used the pool to also host practice swimming for youth teams and schools so future Olympians could say this is what made me want to try out for Olympics.
i know there are events scheduled there soon but this is once in lifetime event that should have been maximized not just for visitors but also the public that helps fund these events and pays for that stadium with their tax dollars.
You invite the public in to use it, you also immediately also invite having to deal with liability insurance and providing facilities and staffing.
And, as you said, a fixed eviction date for the pool is fast approaching.
Great to see the pool get a second life. How about the 66-foot tall Eiffel Tower? I hope they can move it to a prime spot in the White River State Park as a memorial to the link between the swimming trials in Indianapolis and the 2024 Summer Olympic game in Paris.
Brent B.
+1
White River State Park would an outstanding location.
Strongly oppose this. The miniature Eiffel Tower would really screw up the park’s elegance/minimalism.
The original was “temporary”. I think it was supposed to be dismantled after 4 years. 135 years later and it’s still there. Our’s isn’t quite the same attraction. The Who says it needs to go away right now.
Yes, very glad the pool will be used for physical + economic benefit within Indiana, but where’s the Eiffel Tower going? Kinda bummed it didn’t stay to for the summer, at least, but it’s going down FAST today.