Dover is one step closer to a new indoor pool and aquatics center. Earlier this month, JSA Architects in Portsmouth completed renderings of the proposed Jenny Thompson Aquatic Center, according to Timothy Paiva, board president of the nonprofit Jenny Thompson Aquatic Center, Inc.
The $14 million, 46,000-square-foot facility will act as a venue for everything from swim meets and lessons to hydrofitness and rehabilitation programs. The center is named for Jenny Thompson, an Olympic swimmer who hails from Dover.
Plans have been in the works since 2011, according to Paiva. That year, the city’s budget initially did not include funding for Dover’s indoor and outdoor pools. “There was a groundswell of support to get that fixed and … put back on (the city’s) radar,” Paiva said. “That was the impetus for us from the Seacoast Swimming Association to look at the long-term viability of pools in the area.”
The center, slated to be built in Maglaras Park, near the city’s waterfront, would include two indoor pools — a 50-meter competitive pool and a 25-yard teaching pool — along with locker rooms and a multi-purpose room. The capital campaign for construction costs is ongoing. “We’re looking to raise several million in capital contributions to begin building the facility,” Paiva said. “That’s the next hurdle to tackle.”
Paiva said the center will be a “public-private” partnership with the city. Once the center is open, Paiva said it will be run by a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
City manager Michael Joyal said that once the center opens, the city’s indoor and outdoor pools would close and public swimming activities would move to the center. “They’re older pool facilities, they’re in need of maintenance and upgrades, and so there’s an opportunity for the city to benefit from a new facility being constructed by a private organization,” he said.
Though the details of a partnership between the nonprofit and the city haven’t been worked out, Joyal said he expects the deal will involve a lease agreement for the land at Maglaras Park and provisions for public swimming programs.
The project’s timeframe depends on how well fundraising goes, according to Paiva. It will take between 12 and 16 months from “when we put the first shovel in the ground to the time the first person is in the water” to complete construction. He’s hoping the project will be completed sometime in the next four years — his daughter is currently in eighth grade, and Paiva said he’d like her to swim at the center before she graduates high school.
“It’s not just for competitive swimmers. It’s for everyone from little kids learning how to swim to senior citizens who want to move around, or someone who needs to rehabilitate in an aquatic environment,” Paiva said. “We’re really excited about the whole project.”
More information about the aquatic center can be found at jtaquatics.com.
At top of page:a rendering of the Jenny Thompson Aquatic Center by JSA Architects.