Swim Winchester

latest-news

JOIN US ON MARCH 28TH, 7-8:30PM

How can I learn more about Swim Winchester plans to build an indoor pool in town? Over the past few years, with generous financial support from the community, we’ve developed a business plan, carried out detailed and diligent site studies, and finalized a preliminary design for the aquatic center. We will be hosting an information session on March 28th, 2024 in the Large Meeting Room at the Winchester Public Library to provide a project update and answer questions. We hope that you can join us!

WE HEAR YOU!

We’ve been hearing a lot of great questions from the community about the aquatics center, and have compiled a list of the most frequently asked ones. Please visit our FAQ page HERE.

THANK YOU!

The 2023 Swimathon raised more than $8000 from more than 70 Swim Winchester supporters. Thank you to the swimmers and to the generous donors!

vision-two

Vision

Swim Winchester is a volunteer nonprofit organization created to design, build, and maintain an all-season community swimming pool in partnership with the Town of Winchester. Our vision is to create a gathering space for the community. We are committed to promoting life-long health for all age groups, from infants to seniors, in a facility that is welcoming to all.

We can’t do this without you.

plan-two

Plan

A great pool begins with a great plan.

From the beginning, Swim Winchester has held focus groups and feedback sessions to collect input and ideas from community members. Topics have included young families, competitive swimming, senior activities, adaptive aquatics, and sustainability/green design. Swim Winchester has also commissioned studies from regionally and nationally recognized firms to lay a strong foundation for the project’s site, program model, and financial feasibility. Town officials have encouraged careful planning to ensure this facility will be a sustainable asset for future generations.

Click here for Planning Studies
Click here for the 2014 Feasibility Study
Click here for the 2015 Site Alternative Study
Click here for the 2018 Joint Resolution
Click here for the 2022 Swim Winchester RFP Document

Tom Howley, Winchester Citizen of the Year 2013

In large measure, our decisions should be guided by WHAT WILL STRENGTHEN WINCHESTER AS A CARING & CONNECTED COMMUNITY FOR EVERYONE. A community pool would do that for Winchester residents of all ages, no matter one’s wealth or income.

Kara Spelman, Former President of Winchester’s Family Action Network

My toddlers loved learning to swim, but WE HAD TO DRIVE 20 TO 30 MINUTES FOR LESSONS! WE WENT TO WOBURN, BURLINGTON, READING… the distance was both inconvenient and daunting to plan around meal times, nap times, and other activities. If Winchester had a facility of its own, we certainly would use it instead!.

Mark Arria, Winchester High School Athletic Director

The addition of an aquatics facility in Winchester would be of GREAT BENEFIT FOR NOT ONLY THE WHS BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ SWIM PROGRAMS, BUT FOR ALL OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES. A pool gives more options for both training and rehab purposes.

design

2022 Preliminary Design

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The facility will feature:

• An eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool
• A large, warm water recreational pool
• Bleachers and lesson observation areas
• A fitness space with exercise machines
• A multi-purpose event and meeting room
• A welcoming lobby area
• An outdoor patio for summer use

Our goal is to make the facility an attractive and integrated part of the high school athletics fields, the neighborhood, and the town.

A committee of local experts in architecture, engineering, and construction chose Boston-based Fennick McCredie (FM) Architecture through a competitive Request for Proposal process. FM Architecture has created a practical and beautiful preliminary design based on the facility’s business plan, site considerations, and community feedback. The design includes flexible spaces to accommodate fitness and aquatics activities for various ages and interests. Final facility features will depend on available funding.

The recreation pool will be focused on swim lessons, exercise classes, family fun, and aqua therapy. It will have access to an outdoor patio space for the summer months. The 8-lane, 25-yard lap pool will be for lap swimming, swim lessons, a town swim team, the Winchester High School swim teams, Masters swimming, and other water fitness activities. Fitness areas will include cardio and weight training equipment, as well as a separate studio space for aerobics, yoga, and other group activities.

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JOHN MAY, WHS Class of 2016, 4-Year Varsity Swimmer

A Winchester pool would be tremendous for the swim teams. IT WOULD MEAN NOT WAKING UP AT 4:00 EACH MORNING TO DRIVE TO MEDFORD. It would allow us to host meets. And since the sport would not be isolated from the school experience, more potential athletes would be attracted to the team. The past four years I have been on the team, we have had only 15 swimmers. This makes it hard to compete with other schools.

IRENE SCHNELLER, Winchester Resident (in Memoriam)

For all my 40+ years in Winchester I dreamt of a community pool in town and worked for one (in vain) on various committees. I longed for this at first for myself and my three tots then later to avoid the hassle of getting my Winchester High School daughter to her 5 a.m. swim team practice at the rented pool in Wakefield. And now, AS A SENIOR, LIKE MANY OTHERS MY AGE, I NEED THAT SWIM EXERCISE ALL YEAR, CLOSE TO HOME. I’m thrilled that Swim Winchester is on the brink of realizing that dream and I will do what I can to help those people working for a pool for all of us.

Malini Nair, Professional & Mother of 2

WE NEED AN AQUATICS CENTER THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY. Having spent a lot of time, money, and effort taking my daughters to swimming pools in neighboring towns, I am very much in favor of Winchester having its own pool.

location

Location

The Winchester Select Board and Winchester School Committee have conditionally approved a site in the northeast corner of Skillings Field for the aquatics facility. This location complements the Winchester High School sports fields and prioritizes pedestrian access. Existing parking can be used for overflow during the facility’s busiest times – after school, on weekends, and in the summer. Design and construction will take into account neighborhood input, soil conditions, and flood mitigation.

Note: the below design is from 2021 and may be subject to change.

Why is Skillings Field the preferred site?

Skillings Field (next to Winchester High School) was chosen as the best site out of 17 options evaluated by a Site Alternative Study. Two of its major advantages are its central location and parking. At this location, the community pool and fitness center integrates into our vibrant town with easy access from the high school, Jenks Center, and connection to our local businesses. Parking can be shared with the high school and other green spaces in town are preserved.

What about the floodplain?

The town’s multi-million dollar flood mitigation program is expected to reduce the size of the floodplain in the area, making construction on the northeast corner of Skillings field possible. The building would be carefully designed to minimize flood risk, possibly with the basin above ground.

NANCY BIGELOW, Tufts University Swim Coach & Swim Winchester Board Member

With multi-generational appeal, the aquatics center will be a SPACE THAT CONNECTS THE ENTIRE WINCHESTER COMMUNITY while offering much-needed aquatic programming.

SUZANNE LESLIE, WHS Alum and Mother of Two

Having a child who is on the autism spectrum, I’ve learned the importance of aquatic therapy. I’VE SEEN THE JOY AND TRANSFORMATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN WITH APPROPRIATE SWIM INSTRUCTION. I am so pleased that Swim Winchester is considering the needs of our special needs community for therapeutic aquatic programming as it could benefit so many children and adults in our town.

JOHN SULLIVAN, Former Winchester Town Moderator

To me, a community pool would be a perfect addition to our town’s current infrastructure, benefiting the health and well being of all citizens, across all ages and levels of physical ability. AN INDOOR POOL PROVIDES FOR YEAR-ROUND EXERCISE AND AFFORDABLE RECREATION, independent of the weather. In addition, for young people, learning to swim at an early age is a major safety achievement.

get-involved

Get Involved

This is a grassroots initiative and we welcome thoughts, ideas, suggestions, concerns, and comments at all times.  We also need volunteers to help spread the word, give feedback, help plan events, and fundraise. Please contact us at info@swimwinchester.org for more details. Please also like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for frequent updates on the project.

Get Updates

Keep informed about the latest pool developments, important meetings, volunteer requests, and events.  Our email list is never shared with anyone.

Give Feedback

Have great ideas for the pool?  We want to hear from you about what’s most important to you in the design of the pool.

Volunteer

Whatever your skills, we’ll put them to use to benefit the pool project!  Send us an email and let us know how you’d like to help.

Support Swim Winchester

We are now seeking pledge indications from potential donors who want to contribute to the construction fund for the pool facility. Contact us using the form below for more information about Swim Winchester pledge indications. To donate funds now to support Swim Winchester planning efforts, click here

Donors

The community pool project has received generous financial support from over 600 individuals and organizations, listed here.

contact

Contact

Please leave your information below and we will get in touch or e-mail us at info@swimwinchester.org.

Our mailing address:
Swim Winchester
P.O. Box 44
Winchester, MA 01890

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Board of Directors

Caroline Shamu, President
Bryn Buck, Clerk
Victoria Landi, Treasurer
Bev Antunes
David Bentley
Nancy Bigelow
Mary Chmielowiec
Catherine Curtis (Past President)
Jifeng Liu
Richard P. Solomon, CFRE
Janet Wolbrom

Volunteer Staff

Brad Shaw, Technology Director
Kristine Kamikawa, Art Director
Suzanne Leslie, Volunteers Coordinator