A new pool at the Rec Center?

City officials are looking into rebuilding the Long Beach Recreation Center’s pool, as many residents complain that the 50-year-old facility is deteriorating and is in desperate need of an overhaul to meet the demands of recreational swimmers, local swim teams and elderly residents.

The “Rec” on Magnolia Boulevard houses a 25-yard-long, six-lane pool, a smaller diving pool, exercise rooms, a steam room, showers and locker rooms. At the Feb. 1 City Council meeting, a number of residents spoke about the poor conditions at the facility and said that the pool and the building need to be rebuilt.

City Manager Charles Theofan told residents that officials are looking into ways to address the issues at the facility, and that the work is long overdue. Although it is too early to determine how the project would be financed, Theofan said after the meeting that funding could take the form of a bond or state or federal grants.

“You’re going to see some dramatic things happen,” Theofan told residents. “I’m very aware of those conditions, and things will be changing.”

Grace Defries, co-president of the Long Beach Aquatics Parents Association, which supports swim teams such as the Tiger Sharks, told the council that the pool and its amenities do not meet the needs of swimmers who want to stay active in the winter months. Many use facilities in Freeport and at Eisenhower Park’s Nassau County Aquatic Center, Defries said.

“Many of these avid swimmers travel outside of Long Beach to meet their swimming needs,” she said. “We urge the City Council … to build a new pool that meets the needs of this community.”

Defries and others said that an adequate pool and facility could generate more revenue for the center by boosting membership. “We expect that a new pool would attract more members,” said resident Neil McCarthy, who is also a co-president of the LBAPA. McCarthy listed some of the Rec Center’s problems: Holes in the ceiling, leaks, dirty locker rooms, and inconsistent water quality and temperatures.

McCarthy said that the Rec, which has more than 3,000 members, is an important resource for many people in the community, especially senior citizens. The Tiger Sharks boast more than 300 swimmers, and lifeguard trainees take a test at the pool and train there. The cost of an annual family pass, $250, is lower than other facilities in Nassau County, yet people still choose to swim elsewhere because of the facility’s condition, McCarthy said.

Longtime Jones Beach lifeguard and school board Trustee Roy Lester echoed those sentiments, and said he swims at the county Aquatic Center. Lester said that the Rec Center pool’s tiles are broken, the filters are old and the water is often discolored, sometimes unclean or has high levels of chlorine that many say is unhealthy.

“The swimming pool … is kind of a disgrace, and I was surprised at how badly it’s deteriorated,” Lester said. “It’s the last pool you’ll go to if you want to work out.”

McCarthy encouraged the council to consider upgrading the center in phases, given the tough economic times. “To keep putting Band-Aids on the pool and the pool building, I feel, is throwing our money away and a very bad use of taxpayer money,” he said. “I would like to see a new pool here for us to use and to serve our kids in the years to come.”

Theofan said that the issues at the Rec go beyond maintenance, and that it simply needs to be rebuilt. After the meeting, McCarthy said he has been in talks with city officials for a few months about rebuilding the facility — and finding a way to fund such a project — and that officials have been receptive.

One idea being discussed, McCarthy said, is to construct a new, eight-lane pool and building on the center’s existing parking lot and tear down part of the existing building afterward to allow programs to continue during the construction. The hope, Theofan explained, is to use the old space for parking and other amenities such as a basketball court. The project would also include a smaller exercise pool, which many seniors would rely on for its therapeutic benefits.

“The city, as far as I know, is looking into grants or money available from other places before they go ahead with this,” McCarthy said. “There is a possibility that it could go up for a bond. I feel that this facility has been ignored for too long … but we can’t let it go.”

Others said that while they would like to see a new Rec Center, the city could not afford to take on such a project through a bond in this economy. City Councilman Mike Fagen said that the city should look into alternative sources of funding, such as private partnerships or corporate sponsorships, to build a new pool.

“You’d have to borrow money for the building, and right now we can’t afford the debt service,” Fagen said. “How are you going to pay the debt interest on a bond?”

A bond would require the approval of the City Council by a majority vote of 4-1. Theofan would not discuss how such a project might impact taxes, saying that it was too early to estimate the cost or scope of the work and how it would ultimately be financed.

McCarthy said that the issues at the Rec cannot continue to be ignored. “As a taxpayer, I don’t want to pay more taxes, but we can’t just let this fall into the ground,” he added.

“That pool has to be reconstructed,” Theofan said. “We’re optimistic that we can find a solution to construct a new pool while keeping the old pool open.”

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