SUNY New Paltz has formally announced plans to replace the existing Elting gymnasium pool, along with improvements to the gym’s interior, to the tune of $74 million. The project is slated to begin in the summer of 2026 and finish in 2029.
According to information released by the college last week, the project includes “a full replacement of Elting pool, which is necessary as our current pool is approaching the end of its functional lifecycle. The renovation will ensure that Elting pool meets all NCAA guidelines necessary for our varsity swimming teams to safely train and compete.”
The 60-year-old gymnasium that houses the pool is also slated for a facelift in an attempt to “update training and support spaces for both teams and recreation as well as Athletic, Wellness & Recreation Department offices in the building,” SUNY New Paltz stated in the release. The Athletic & Wellness Center, which is connected to the older Elting gymnasium and pool, is expected to remain open throughout the demolition and construction of the new pool.
The project is being funded by the State University Construction Fund. The college said that it will “allow for more flexibility in how the campus provides recreational and wellness opportunities for students, faculty, staff and, as available, members of the surrounding community.”
There have been discussions about the possible renovation of or construction of a new pool for the past several years, but this announcement was the most formal one to date. Asked if there were plans drawn up for the project, Andrew Bruso, the executive director of Communications for SUNY New Paltz, told Hudson Valley One that “The overall project design is currently in progress and is being led by Cannon Design, along with their team of sub-consultants, which includes aquatic facility experts Counsilman-Hunsaker.”
Asked why it was slated to take three years to complete, Bruso said, “This is a major renovation of the 82,000-square-foot facility, including a complete replacement of our end-of-lifespan swimming pool. Scheduling projections are estimates developed by facilities construction experts from our campus and those affiliated with our state partners, based on project specifics and past experience with similarly scoped projects on our campus and at other universities in New York.” Bruso said that “they intend to publish project updates, including renderings when appropriate, to our website as this construction project advances.” When asked if there would be any public input, he said that there are “no plans to invite public comment on this university construction project at this time.”
The big question that many aqua-loving folks in the community have is whether or not the college will allow outside access to the new pool once it is completed. Since its inception, the pool has been utilized by community groups. Beside the SUNY New Paltz men’s and women’s swim teams, which are members of the NCAA Division 3 SUNYAC conference, the pool is also used by the New Paltz High School girls’ and boys’ varsity teams; the Hawks Swimming Association, an 80-member Hawks USA age-group swim team; the local chapter of the US Masters Swimming group; as well as general open community swim time. New Paltz is a swimming Mecca, from the most competitive swimmers to those just wanting to stay in the water for lifesaving skills, as well as those seeking the physical and mental benefits that the non-weight-bearing sport provides.
Community access
When asked if access would be given for the existing groups to rent and/or pay membership fees to utilize the new pool once it is complete, Bruso said, “While we cannot provide specifics about access at this early stage in the renovation process, SUNY New Paltz plans to continue its longstanding tradition of being a good community partner. As is currently the case, future access to our aquatic facility will be scheduled around university student needs.”
The college said that its men’s and women’s swim teams will continue to compete, but will train and compete in alternative locations during the renovation.
Year-round pool access in the region is hard to come by, and particularly so in Ulster County. The only other pools in Ulster County where community members can purchase a membership to swim besides the SUNY New Paltz pool are the Kingston YMCA or the 20-yard, two-lane pool at the Mike Arteaga Fitness Center in Highland. Citing this shortage in pool access for its students for both competitive reasons and for health and safety, the New Paltz School Board held a referendum last month on a proposal to build an eight-lane, 25-yard aquatic center onto the back of the high school, at a cost of just under $20 million. Voters overwhelmingly voted against the project and the proposition failed.
Local response
Hudson Valley One reached out to some members of the community who utilize the Elting pool to get their reaction to the news. Karl LaRocca, an avid Masters swimmer, said that he “had heard about the plan for the past year-and-a half, so it wasn’t a surprise.” In his estimation it would have “made sense to build a new pool where the west parking temporary lot is first and then demolish the old pool, but there’s probably a reason that didn’t make sense to the college.”
Jeff Weiss, a New Paltz resident, Masters swimmer and co-host of the Gunks Cast, a podcast about regional endurance athletes and the pursuit of endurance sports in and around the Shawangunk Ridge, said that he thinks the news is great. “As a swimming family, we love the SUNY pool; we’ve used it so long, it feels like home to be in the water there. I love the upgrades to the locker rooms they made a few years back, and the building of a new pool facility is long overdue. I’d be glad to pay for community use as a Masters swimmer and a parent.”
Asked if he is concerned about the college allowing outside groups to utilize the pool once it’s constructed, Weiss said, “Of course it is a concern that they would revoke community use. But I haven’t read or heard that this was a risk, especially given that community use is a revenue stream for the school. My hope is that SUNY recognizes it is a part of our community, understands the importance of this and will allow for shared use for years to come.”
The Ulster County Pool will reopen this summer
Between the college’s swim team, its students, faculty and staff and the various teams and organizations that utilize the Elting pool, those lanes are packed every morning, day and night of the week, save for the summer months when most of the users gravitate toward the outdoor facilities. One of those facilities is the Ulster County Pool: a 50-meter Olympic-sized pool, located on Libertyville Road in New Paltz next to the Field of Dreams and county fairgrounds. Like the Elting pool, this is an older facility that gets heavy usage during the summer season. This past summer the pool was experiencing water leaks from old pipes that forced the facility to be closed for the entire season, leaving thousands of patrons without access to a public pool to swim, recreate, get swim lessons for their children or simply cool off as global warming keeps upping the number of heat waves and days over 90 degrees each summer.
The good news, according to county executive Jen Metzger, is that the pipes that were leaking have been not only identified but already repaired, and the county pool will reopen this summer. Ulster County was also the recipient of a $3.9 million grant from New York State governor Kathy Hochul’s SWIMS initiative. Part of that money was utilized to repair the pool, and the rest will be used for replacing the pool deck, installing a new gutter system and other improvements to the adjacent children’s playground. The county executive told Hudson Valley One that the facility improvements will be coming after the pool closes for the season this year and are slated to be completed and ready for the summer of 2026.
For more information on the college’s Elting gymnasium and pool renovation plans, go to www.newpaltz.edu/construction/elting-renovation. For more information on Governor Hochul’s push to create more municipal pool infrastructure and open-water swimming opportunities for New York State residents, go to www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-unveils-fourth-proposal-2024-state-state-ny-swims-new-york-statewide.
Note: Erin Quinn is the head coach of the Hawks USA age-group swim club, which rents pool space from SUNY New Paltz.
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