Floating Swimming Pool to Come to NYC
Enjoy swimming? Ready for summer? The latest local news is great for people who love both: A floating swimming pool is coming to NYC waters, expanding swimming access for aquatic-loving city residents by next year.
New York City’s Floating Swimming Pool
Named the “+Pool,” the pool will be tested this summer, but won’t open to the public until 2025 after fulfilling all health and safety requirements, the city said. Mayor Eric Adams and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced the project on Friday, saying that the city and state will jointly fund the water-filtering, floating, portable pool.
How Does a Floating Swimming Pool Work?
Here’s how the +Pool will work: The pool will stay in place by being tethered to a river bed. It will be designed into a plus-sign shape, put into a river and filter river water within its walls, removing bacteria, contaminants and odor like a giant strainer, per the pool’s website.
The pool will have four different sections: a kids’ pool, sports pool, lap pool and lounge pool.
The exact location of the pool is yet to be determined.
The announcement of the +Pool builds on the city’s work to expand swimming pools across NYC. This includes $147 million for a new recreation center with an indoor pool at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans, Queens, and the $141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center with an indoor pool in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
“Public pools play a vital role in New York City by providing recreational opportunities, access to water safety instruction, and critical relief from increasingly hot summers,” Sue Donoghue, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner, said. “Today’s announcement is a much-needed investment in our city’s future, and one that will enhance equity by increasing swim access for all New Yorkers.”
The floating swimming pool project is also part of the state’s NY SWIMS initiative that has a similar goal of providing expanded access to safe swimming statewide.
NY SWIMS aims to help more New Yorkers swim safely by addressing the statewide lifeguard shortage, increasing swimming instruction and increasing amenities at pools and beaches.
To combat the ongoing lifeguard shortage, the state will offer a grant program to reimburse cities for expenses related to lifeguard pay to help expand operating hours, increase staffing levels for swim programs and widen access to public beaches and pools throughout the state.
“As part of my new NY SWIMS initiative, the statewide investment in municipal swimming, I’m proud to partner with Mayor Adams to advance a long-stalled, innovative floating pool concept: the +Pool,” Hochul said.
Free Pools in New York City
New Yorkers don’t have to wait for the floating swimming pool to open, because there are many other places to swim in New York City, too. The city already has free outdoor public pools scattered throughout the boroughs, including seven on Staten Island. These pools typically open for the season in June.
To learn more about NYC public pools, visit nycgovparks.org.
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