March 28, 2024

Splashing into summer

Newton YMCA holds ribbon cutting ceremony for pool renovations

Newton YMCA CEO Frank Buckley said when the tiles were taken up off the pool floor at the beginning of the swimming pool renovation project, two major cracks were found.

“Had that not been attended to, it would have led to major flooding in our downstairs which would have damaged our pool equipment,” Buckley said. “Just the fact we initiated the resurfacing project uncovered some structural integrity issues that, again, after 42 years you expect to have.”

Renovations in the pool area have been completed, and the pool at the YMCA is now open for business. To celebrate, YMCA staff and patrons were joined Wednesday by members of the Greater Newton Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the pool.

The renovations include new lighting, sound-absorbing tiles, a scoreboard, a handicap lift next to the pool and a crows nest for judges to get a better view at swimming meets. As far as the pool itself goes, the surface is now plaster, like most public pools. The pool has blue lane markers and is used by area club and Newton High School swimming teams, the YMCA Penguin Swim Team and the public.

Buckley said the entire project cost more than $1 million and was split between replacing the maintenance equipment and the remodeling of the pool area itself.

“We were able to do this through some generous legacy donations ... strictly for capital improvements and things that needed to get done here. We have been blessed to get those, otherwise a project of this size and scope would just literally be impossible,” Buckley said.

The pool was not the only place in the YMCA which was touched during the remodeling. Private changing stations, family changing rooms and an office next to the pool are also brand new, with the locker and shower rooms previously being remodeled making the total project worth $2 million.

Buckley said after 42 years it was time for an upgrade. He said the sound was terrible in the pool area, cleaning was no longer improving the look of the tiles and there were problems at swim meets in general. For Buckley and YMCA staff, enough was enough.

In attendance at the ribbon cutting was the Newton Chamber Executive Director Amanda Price. She said the Chamber was there to help to promote the new pool to Newton.

“The Chamber is very community oriented, always wanting to support any community entity as much as they can, so the ‘Y’ has always been a big supporter of us,” Price said. “Our job then is to turn around and support anything the ‘Y’ does. So getting the word out that the renovations were happening, we put out a newsletter which goes out every week, about 500 people or so.”

She said ribbon cuttings like the pool’s, are important because it’s all community promotion.

Contact Samuel Nusbaum at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or snusbaum@newtondailynews.com