Grand opening features free access to the pool and center
Get ready to dip your toes in Tacoma’s newest public, indoor swimming pool at People’s Community Center, 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
The grand opening begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Admission is free to everyone, regardless of whether you want to test the sparkling, 85-degree water – bring your swimsuit – or simply tour the center and its new pool. (Pool capacity is limited)
- Open house begins at 12:30 pm
- Ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 pm
- Swimming starts after the ceremony*
*Pool capacity is limited. The first public swim will begin around 2 pm. Swimmers waiting in line will be issued tickets showing their designated swim session time. Swim sessions will be held throughout the afternoon.
The newly completed L-shaped pool boasts Tacoma’s only indoor spraypad and three lap lanes, plus renovated locker rooms. Huge windows on the pool’s South 17th Street side bathe it in natural light, a stark contrast to the subterranean atmosphere typical of most indoor pools.
“We are so excited to open this gorgeous, new community pool,” said Erik Hanberg, president of the Metro Parks Board of Commissioners. “The pool and indoor spraypad invite swimmers and soon-to-be swimmers of all ages.”
This major building project has been years in the making. It is a collaboration between community stakeholders; Metro Parks Tacoma, which manages the center; and the City of Tacoma, which owns the building and led construction. The work began more than a year ago with demolition of the previous pool structure.
The desire for a pool serving the Hilltop and central Tacoma is a longstanding one, dating back to before the construction of the old pool. It shut down in 2008 because of structural problems, and officials considered turning the space into a gym. But community members lobbied hard for a new pool. Construction came about with the support of the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks and state taxpayers through the state Department of Commerce.
The grand opening is not just an opportunity for a first-hand look at the pool and center. It’s also a chance to meet Metro Parks and People’s Center staff members, learn about planned People’s Center programs and share your ideas for the future of the center and pool.
The pool features stair-step access to a shallow swimming area and submerged bench, perfect for introductory swimming lessons. The entire pool is relatively shallow, making it enjoyable even for nonswimmers. Metro Parks plans a regular schedule of lessons, water exercise, lap-lane and recreational swimming opportunities. The pool will be open daily.
Key pool elements include:
- Three-lane lap pool
- Passive swim area and bench
- A spraypad especially for toddlers
- A current channel and vortex, designed for both fun and therapy
- Floating pads for walk-on-water play
- Two, poolside basketball hoops
- Two party rooms
- Two family changing areas/restrooms and one additional restroom
The walk-on-water feature is similar to those at popular water parks. Floating pads are shaped and colored to look like lily pads and log slices, and are anchored beneath a cargo net, which stretches from one side of the pool to the other. The trick is to use the cargo net for balance as you walk across the pool.
The side-by-side basketball hoops are ready for half-court, 3-on-3 basketball games.
The current channel is a smaller version of the lazy river at Metro Parks’ Stewart Heights pool, minus the floating tubes. The high-velocity vortex and current also can be used for physical or occupational therapy.
The pool meets all Americans with Disabilities Act standards. It’s equipped with a poolside lift and a set of closely spaced, parallel railings to ease entry and exit via stairs.
- Find out about Metro Parks' pool safety rules.
- Learn more about People’s Community Center.
- See the Facebook event.
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