Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul announced that the long-awaited floating +Pool will be located at Pier 35 near Manhattan’s Lower East Side. A three-month water filtration demonstration project will begin this August to gather data and ensure the safety of the innovative pool concept. The full-scale +Pool is targeted to open for testing in the summer of 2025, expanding swimming access for New Yorkers and building on the city’s recent investments in public pools and water safety programs
–– New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a step forward in demonstrating the feasibility of a filtered floating pool in New York City waters, which will be located at Pier 35 near Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The city is partnering with the state to jointly fund a water filtration demonstration project at Pier 35 starting this August to help ensure this innovative model can safely provide swimming access for New Yorkers.
“New York City’s waterways are some of our most important assets. By exploring the possibility of a + POOL, we are not only building on our historic investments in public pools across the city, but also expanding equitable access to swimming for all New Yorkers, especially our children,” said Mayor Adams. “Whether it’s investing over $1 billion in capital to build and maintain public pools, opening more pools this summer, or increasing the number of lifeguards at our beaches and pools, our administration is giving New Yorkers additional ways to stay cool as climate change makes heat waves more common. We look forward to continuing to work with Governor Hochul to achieve an equitable vision for swimming in New York City.”
“Through innovative solutions like + POOL, we are providing children and their families with safe spaces to swim in New York City,” said Governor Hochul. “NY SWIMS is the largest statewide investment in swimming since the New Deal, and we’re increasing access to pools while helping our kids learn how to stay safe in the water.”
“The interagency and community collaboration to bring New York City’s first water-filtering floating swimming pool to life has been incredible,” said Kara Meyer, managing director, + POOL. “It demonstrates New York at its best –– when the people are working together to advocate for change, evolve systems, design solutions, test concepts, and build innovations. It’s what makes New York, New York.”
In January 2024, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul announced that New York City and New York state would collaborate on launching + POOL, a state-of-the-art swimming facility that — after fulfilling health and safety requirements — will float in the waters surrounding New York City. The city and state are jointly funding the first round of + POOL’s demonstration project starting this August to provide the data needed to develop New York City’s first water-filtering floating swimming pool.
The filtration demonstration project at Pier 35, starting this August, as well as a pilot of the pool for final testing in 2025, will help ensure this innovative model can safely provide swimming access for New Yorkers. Testing will assess water quality and help evaluate the additional requirements recently detailed by New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s protocol for non-traditional recreational water projects and the New York state Department of Health’s framework for novel bathing facilities.
“Today’s announcement is a result of strong partnerships across government to achieve innovation,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams Isom. “We are grateful to our partners at + POOL and at the state. We will continue to carry out this project with an equity and environmental focus to work towards expanding swimming access, and to do so thoughtfully for years to come.”
“Public infrastructure to keep New Yorkers cool in the summer months will be absolutely crucial for a climate change future,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “That’s why we have spent this summer recruiting more lifeguards, it’s why we will invest a billion dollars in pool infrastructure citywide, and its why we are so excited to take this next step on + POOL, which could be an iconic addition to our city for fun as well as safety.”
The announcement builds on a more than $1 billion capital investment from the Adams administration in building, improving, and protecting New York City’s public pools over the course of five years. This funding will mark the city’s highest period of investment in swimming infrastructure since the 1970s. Through the administration’s “Let’s Swim NYC” plan, the city is bringing needed funding to 39 pools, including building two brand new indoor pools and fully renovating three additional pools. The historic investment will expand safe water access throughout the five boroughs, promoting public safety and helping more New Yorkers learn life-saving water safety skills. As previously announced, the city is also building a new $147 million recreation center with an indoor pool at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans, Queens and an indoor pool at the $141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. These two pools represent the first added to New York City parks since 2008. In partnership with the Central Park Conservancy, the city is also investing $60 million to open a new and improved pool at the Harlem Meer in place of the former Lasker Pool, providing Harlem residents with a beautiful new pool and rink facility, thoughtfully incorporated into the landscape of Central Park’s north end. The pool is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025.
Beyond recent capital investment in the city’s pools, the Adams administration has also taken strong steps to combat a nationwide lifeguard shortage to ensure that as many of New York City’s pools and beaches can be open for safe swimming as possible this summer. In late May, an arbitration panel issued an award in the city’s ongoing negotiations with the bargaining unit representing city lifeguards that will functionally pave the way for the city to be able to hire more lifeguards, allow more swimming capacity at beaches and pools over the coming summers, and improve operations of the city lifeguard program. Among other things, the award will allow the city to modify the qualification for lifeguards assigned to shallow water pools and modernize the vision requirements to be more in line with state regulations and industry standards. This builds on the city’s agreement with District Council 37 earlier this year to permanently improve the pay of city lifeguards to $22 per hour as of this summer, along with a $1,000 per year bonus for returning lifeguards.
This summer, New Yorkers can enjoy upgraded outdoor public pools in all five boroughs:
- Astoria Pool in Queens reopened after an approximately $19 million reconstruction, with a brand-new pool shell, deck, and lighting; state-of-the-art filtration and chemical treatment systems; and upgraded heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and electrical equipment.
- NYC Parks has opened a fully renovated mini-pool at Edenwald Playground in the Bronx.
- New colorful concrete pool decks, new plantings for color and shade, new benches, fencing, and ADA ramps will greet visitors to John Jay and Sheltering Arms Pools in Manhattan and West Brighton Pool in Staten Island, all modeled after the Cool Pools initiative.
- Less visible but vital renovations will keep pools operating smoothly, including new utility lines and HVAC systems at Betsy HeadPool in Brooklyn, Lyons Pool in Staten Island, and Highbridge and Jackie Robinson Pools in Manhattan that will ensure these free public amenities continue to serve generations to come.
August 7 2024 New York NY
Sources: Midtown Tribune news, NYC.gov
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