City leaders say rising demand is behind a major expansion project announced this week for the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The facility is a popular place for local and national swimming events, including the NCAA Women's Championships and the U.S. Masters Championships.
Greensboro leaders estimate the economic impact of the center is around $140 million dollars since it opened in 2011.
Several high school teams and clubs train there and it offers public swim time and therapeutic programs. Susan Braman, manager of the center, says to balance the facility's growth, a fourth pool and new building will be added on site.
“There's a lot of scheduling and it's like a big puzzle for us. We're always having to cut back a little bit for each team to keep it equitable,” says Braman. “This will allow us to continue to host the swimming meets, while still providing uninterrupted practice time for all of those swimming teams that we are home to.”
The cost for the Aquatic Center project is around $7 million. The money will come from hotel tax revenue in Greensboro.
The new pool is expected to open in January 2019.
Greensboro officials say it's an exciting time for the facility. It was also recently selected to host the YMCA's National Short Course Swimming Championships in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The annual event is the nation's top youth swimming competition. The center has hosted the event each year since 2012.
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