Future of Pullman pool up in the air

PULLMAN — The future of Military Hill’s indoor pool is up for discussion.

The Pullman School District and city of Pullman are working to find a solution to keep the Pullman Aquatic & Fitness Center open next year.

In August, the school delivered a notice of termination to the city that ended a shared use space agreement of the aquatic center. This means the last day the city can operate the pool is Aug. 31, 2025.

Juston Pollestad, director of operations for the district, said the aquatic center is owned by the school and operated by the city.

An interlocal agreement was formed in 2003, he said, that specifies Pullman Parks and Recreation runs and manages the pool. The deal has cost the district $100,000 annually, while both entities split the costs for repairs at the aquatic center.

He said part of why the contract was terminated is because it’s out of date and needs to be renegotiated. The biggest reason was because it was too expensive to operate.

Pollestad touched on the school’s budget shortfall this year. A drop in enrollment and increase in utilities and insurance costs has made district officials reconsider financial priorities, he said.

The city was unable to provide financial reports detailing annual operating costs and revenue created by the pool.

Pollestad said he is unaware of any public pool that is a revenue maker. Instead, aquatic centers serve to support the community and provide an outlet for all ages to exercise.

Ending the agreement doesn’t mean the pool will shut down, Pollestad said. It was intended as an opportunity to come up with a new deal regarding the aquatic center.

Mayor Francis Benjamin said the city and school have always had a good relationship, and hopes both can find a way to keep the pool open.

The aquatic center was built 27 years ago, Benjamin said, when local philanthropists Ed and Mary Schweitzer financed the construction with a $2 million gift. The family also donated more than $300,000 in 2012 to pay for upgrades and repairs to the pool, he said.

The facility is open to the public Monday through Friday at varying times throughout the week. The aquatic center also supports other activities like the Pullman High School swim team practices and home meets.

Pollestad said the district has total confidence it will continue to support the program. The school has not made any final decisions on the location of swim team practices beyond the 2024-25 academic year.

Benjamin said other aquatic opportunities in town include an indoor pool at Washington State University’s Student Recreation Center and an outdoor pool at Reaney Park that is open during the summer.

Pullman resident Jill Schafer said she was surprised to hear the pool may close and that a facility of its size could go unused. She said the aquatic center was part of the reason why she moved to Pullman — when she relocated, she needed a pool close to home to do her exercise.

There’s a huge community need for the aquatic center, she said. Schafer said she appreciates the range of ages that use the pool, and she would be sad to see it go to waste.

Ruth Day, of Pullman, began using the pool around 20 years ago. She said the aquatic center is important to her health; it’s where she exercises and the warm pool helps her arthritis.

Day hopes the pool stays open. She doesn’t like using the university’s pool because it’s more expensive and she has to pay for parking.

Pollestad hopes to provide the public with an update on the pool soon.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.