The university plans to build a new campus aquatic center within the next three to five years. The new pool will be located on the west side of the Fieldhouse, replacing the parking lot between it and the baseball field.
Building a new aquatic center would allow the school to tear down Wallace Pool, which is far below the National Collegiate Athletic Association‘s (NCAA) national standards.
Wallace Pool was constructed over 50 years ago, which is the root of the problem.
“To bring the pool to today’s standards, it would have to be totally reconstructed,” Bob Kief, Associate Vice President for Facilities Services, said.
Due to the pool’s shortcomings, Puget Sound currently can’t host national meets or competitions.
Construction plans also include expanding the Fitness Center. The boiler room next to the Fitness Center, which was originally intended to send heat throughout buildings on campus, has been decommissioned and serves no current function. The university plans to convert the room into a second fitness center to decrease the amount of congestion in the current gym.
Kief emphasized that Warner Gym, which houses Wallace Pool, will not be torn down if the plans get approved. There are vague plans to replace Wallace Pool with a different facility, but there are no concrete ideas yet.
Facilities Services is still in the schematic design and fundraising process. If they raise enough money to support the project, they will submit the plans for approval.