Aquatic Center Fixes Cancelled by NIFA

The Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) has decided to nix the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, according to Newsday [paid link].

The center, which is used for competitive swim meets, high school practices and competitions and casual swimming, has suffered some wear and tear over the 13 years since its construction for the Goodwill Games in 1998.

The county has stated that some of the original work on the facility was “substandard,” specifically the HVAC system. New York State supervised the initial construction of the aquatic center in the late 90's.

The estimated $25 million in repairs to the facility would have focused on installing a new HVAC system inside the pool area, upgrading the pool’s filters, removing and replacing the roof on the building and updating the pool’s lighting, according to county officials.

From Newsday:

NIFA member Chris Wright said spending that kind of money for a recreation facility is "fiscally imprudent even in a good year." NIFA member Dermond Thomas questioned why the county had not prioritized the work by health and safety issues. Chairman Ronald Stack said the county "could come back with a scaled-down contract, saying exactly what they're going to do."

Initially, the closure was , and now, the future regarding potential fixes remains uncertain.

"It is our understanding that NIFA prefers the county fix the structural problems with the aquatic center in phases," A Spokesman for County Executive Edward Mangano told Newsday. "County officials will speak with the contractor to determine if this is a viable option and determine how much it will increase the overall cost of rehabilitation."

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