San Antonio is investing $3 million into the city’s only Olympic-sized pool. The San Antonio Natatorium is a joint venture between the Parks and Recreation Department and the school district. It was originally built in 1981 and after 40 years, is in desperate need of updates and repairs.
The impressive structure includes a retractable, glass ceiling, several pools, diving blocks, and bleachers for parents and swimming fans to watch the action. It looks like one long field house dotted with swimming pools, which makes sense given that it was built on the original site of a high school track.
According to Texas Public Radio, visitors to the pool can expect to find new locker rooms, a new lobby and the needed repairs to the facility’s retractable roof that was damaged in a storm a few years ago. There are no plans to update any of the actual water features.
The pool hosts school district swim meets and programming and it is also open to the public when meets are not in session. There are public swim lessons and exercise classes offered at the pool as well. All of these options bring in about 36,000 people per year to the pool.
Among all these poolgoers have even been two Olympians, Josh Davis and Adrian Montoya. Davis competed in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic games, winning several medals at each. Montoya made Team USA in 2000 as well.
The $3 million upgrades nearly equal the cost of building the facility in the first place back in 1981. At it’s inception, city council members and the school district hoped the natatorium would become a place for inner-city children to learn to swim, compete and develop water safety skills.
The city and school district anticipate that the pool will be open again in a few months.
