North Seattle College and the YMCA of Greater Seattle have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly build a new indoor pool on the college campus. The project envisions creating an aquatics center based on the college’s existing fitness center that would operate under a “shared-use” model: the pool would be made available primarily for students and staff, but it would also be open to neighborhood residents. “This is very inspiring,” said Kristen Burton, the college’s vice president for administrative services. “Our missions align: we both strive for inclusivity, accessibility and affordability.”
Seattle has a severe shortage of indoor swimming space: the city currently operates only eight municipal pools (two of them closed for repairs) and there are three YMCA pools. Meanwhile, the Northgate neighborhood, where the college is located, is rapidly growing — a light-rail station has been in operation there since 2021, and the mall is being redeveloped with new housing, hotels and an ice arena. Demand for swimming — for both training and children’s lessons — continues to rise, and lane availability is becoming increasingly scarce.
The college and the YMCA plan to gather feedback from stakeholders and conduct a thorough feasibility analysis. A joint recommendation to the boards of both organizations is expected by the end of this year. The agreement is not legally binding at this stage, and construction costs have not been disclosed. Notably, this is not the first such partnership in the state: for example, the University of Washington Tacoma campus partnered with the local YMCA to build a recreation and wellness center that opened in 2015. For the college, which is facing budget pressures due to reduced state funding, such a partnership could be a successful solution.
Based on: North Seattle might get new swimming pool for students, neighbors