A NEW POOL FOR MUNCIE

Muncie and Delaware County have a rich tradition of excellence in the sport of swimming. Numerous athletes who got started here as recreational swimmers or club swimmers have gone on to accomplish great things at the high school, college, and even Olympic levels of the sport. We've produced world record holders, college champions, high school state champions, All-Americans, and Academic All-Americans. It's a proud legacy.

Many of those swimmers and their friends spent their summers training and competing in Tuhey Pool, a facility that opened during the Great Depression in 1934. But for the second-straight summer, Tuhey Pool sits idle, closed by the city over a combination of concerns--the pool's drains no longer meet federal safety standards; the pool has an underground leak of undetermined size; and most importantly, the city's budget crisis makes finding financial solutions difficult, if not impossible.

Some in the community have suggested that repairs be done to Tuhey so it can re-open for the summer of 2011. At lease one city official has estimated that could cost as much as $2 million. And even if we found the money to pay for those repairs, all we would be left with is an outdoor, summer-only facility that would be closed nine months a year. I believe such a move would be penny wise but pound foolish.

I take no pleasure in writing it--Tuhey Pool is no longer viable. It is an outdated facility built on an obsolete business model. But that does NOT mean this community has to accept the demise of Tuhey Pool. On the contrary, the people in this community who care about swimming, whether competitive or just dipping your toes into a clean body of water on a hot summer day, CAN create a different outcome.

Here's my dream for Muncie and Delaware County where swimming is concerned--that ALL of the swimming programs in this community, intercollegiate, high school and club, team up with other stakeholders (learn-to-swim and wellness programs and recreational swimmers) to build a NEW TUHEY POOL WITH A RETRACTABLE ROOF. Before you scoff, check out what similar pools at Colgate University, Hendrix College, and at a city park in Biloxi, Mississippi have done for their communities.

Ours would be a 50-meter by 25-yard pool with moveable bulkheads, which would allow for everything from the highest level competitions to casual cooling off on hot summer days. Ball State's teams could train and host their dual meets in what I'll call the New Tuhey and perhaps even host the Mid-American Conference championship meet. The county's four high school swimming programs (Muncie Central, Muncie South, Delta and Yorktown) could train and hold meets there, and possibly host a high school sectional or diving regional. Swim clubs (CARD, DAC and Yorktown) could practice and compete there, holding large invitationals and divisional meets that attract hundreds of participants. And such a facility would give learn-to-swim and wellness programs a centrally located place where they could operate.

The New Tuhey that I envision would use solar panels in the retractable roof and geothermal wells drilled into the ground to provide the power needed to operate the structure. The retractable roof would allow us to be in business 365 days a year, a critical factor for the financial side of the proposal. Such a facility would generate revenues EVERY DAY. We'd never lose a day to cool, wet summer weather. We'd simply close the roof and keep going. And when we get to Labor Day, we'd stay open instead of shutting down operations until the next Memorial Day.

My dream calls for the New Tuhey to be built right where the current Tuhey Pool is. The location is one of the major gateways to downtown Muncie, it's adjacent to linear parks, and its presence could trigger other economic development activity in the area, especially if we get creative with a TIF district or similar funding designation.

Perhaps best of all, developing such a project would show the rest of the world that Muncie and Delaware County are progressive, creative, cooperative, and a bold community that dares to aim high instead of accepting the status quo.

This problem is ours, but so are the opportunities for finding solutions. We are limited only by our ability to be creative, our willingness to persevere, and our determination to do what is best for the people of Muncie and Delaware County.

Let's do something people will be proud of for the next 50 years!