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Gig Harbor YMCA pool closed from May 8 through June 26
The closure of the aquatics center at the Tom Taylor Family YMCA in Gig Harbor will no doubt stifle early-summer fun for some families. But when it reopens near the end of June, it’ll be like a breath of fresh air.
Literally. In addition to a new roof over the pool area, the aquatics center will get an airflow upgrade during the closure, scheduled for May 8 through June 26.
“The original design made it difficult for air to escape,” said Scott Smith, vice president and chief marketing officer for the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. “That’s why it was just a little bit steamier there than it would be in other places. We’re basically modernizing it so that it is no longer an issue.”
During the pool closure, the YMCA is opening up access to its outdoor pool at Camp Seymour near Key Center. A partnership with the Peninsula School District allows Y members to swim at the Gig Harbor and Peninsula High pools on Saturdays and Sundays starting May 20. To access those options, you need to register through the YMCA website.
Swimmers can also use the Morgan Family YMCA, 10 miles away in Tacoma, or the Bremerton Family YMCA, about 22 miles away in Kitsap County.
The weight room at the Tom Taylor Family YMCA will get new floor covering and new equipment.
Weight room work
In addition to the aquatics center work, the Y is revamping its weight room this month. The work requires the Y to temporarily move the downstairs weight room into the youth gym.
Work will occur May 6 through May 14.
The weight room will get a new floor, new equipment and a new layout during the brief closure. The new weight room will open on May 15, with about 1,000 square feet of additional space.
The gym revamp is a direct result of a YMCA study of how its members use the facility. The study indicated that people are making greater use of strength-training equipment, often at the expense of cardio equipment. In practice, that meant a lot of people waiting for their chance to use limited strength conditioning equipment.
The weight room project will result in more strength training equipment (Life Fitness’ Hammer Strength line, to be specific). Cardio equipment will move upstairs.
The Y also mapped out how people use the center. The revamped configuration of the weight room should result in better traffic flow between equipment and, hopefully, reduced or eliminated wait times.
“Reduction of time to wait for popular equipment was a major part of the goal,” Smith said.
The pool at the Tom Taylor YMCA will close from May 8 to June 26 for installation of a new roof, air flow improvements and other work.
Pool closure
The pool closure will stretch over a much longer period and likely will impact families to a greater extent. YMCA leaders said it couldn’t be helped, though, and the payoff will be substantial.
The current roof is original from when the Tom Taylor YMCA opened in 2007. It’s not leaking yet, but it was due to be replaced.
While they’re at it, the Y will fix the pool’s longstanding air circulation problem, make safety improvements and take steps to reduce window glare. “It’ll just look a lot nicer when it’s done,” in addition to the airflow and safety improvements, Smith said.
Weather plays a role in timing the $1.9 million project. Work crews need a less-rainy season for the roof work.
The Y also timed it so that only one of its class sessions is impacted.
The pool is tremendously popular, with about 750 to 1,000 members using it every day. The Tom Taylor Y is the most popular of the nine facilities in the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties system.
It’s an inconvenience for members, but the YMCA promises everyone will breathe easier when the project is completed.
“At the end of the rainbow, it’s going to be a lot better,” Smith said.
Fencing set up outside the Tom Taylor Family YMCA, where the pool area will get a new roof.