pool | ARLnow.com

County Gears Up to Spend Nearly $410,000 Installing A/V System at Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center

Published January 24, 2019 at 9:45AM

Long Bridge Park aquatics center interior (via Arlington County)

Arlington officials are getting ready to spend nearly $410,000 for the installation of video boards at the Long Bridge Park aquatics and fitness center, a pricy project that has drawn plenty of criticism over the years.

The County Board is set to approve a contract with a construction company this weekend, after staff submitted a report arguing that only a firm with “specialized knowledge” will be able to handle the installation of the center’s audiovisual systems. The county’s main contractor kicked off work on the building this summer, though workers have mainly been occupied with clearing the site at 475 Long Bridge Drive since then.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 29, 2018 at 8:00AM

2018 Marine Corps Marathon (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Marine Corps Marathon Recap — A D.C. man and a Costa Rican woman were the winners of the 43rd annual Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. Meanwhile, the last “Groundpounder,” who had run every Marine Corps Marathon since its inception in 1976, announced his retirement on Saturday after deciding to withdraw from this year’s race. [RunWashington, Stars and Stripes, WTOP]

Arlington Gets Addiction Treatment Grant — “Arlington County has been awarded $250,000 from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) to help people with substance use disorders. The grant is part of the insurer’s nearly $2.1-million investment in community health organizations working to combat substance use disorders, including opioid use disorders.” [Arlington County]

News

As Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center Work Ramps Up, County Seeks Feedback on Programs

By Alex Koma

Published October 25, 2018 at 4:15PM

Work kicks off to clear the site of the future Long Bridge Park aquatics and fitness center.

With work kicking off on the long-awaited, hotly debated Long Bridge Park aquatics and fitness center, Arlington officials are looking for some feedback on what programs and services they should offer at the new facility.

After years of wrangling over the exact design and cost of the facility, county leaders expect the $60 million project will include a 50-meter pool, room for diving at a variety of heights, and a family pool, complete with elements including “a lazy river, splash pad for tots, basketball, volleyball, lap lanes and a water slide.” The project will also include a new fitness center, billed as the largest one operated by the county, and an expansion of the adjacent park and its walkways.

News

County Overhauls Zoning Rules for Community Pools, Allowing Nauck Project to Advance

By Alex Koma

Published October 24, 2018 at 10:45AM

A Nauck church now has the green light to redevelop a former YMCA center into a new community pool, after Arlington officials signed off on a host of new zoning changes designed to make the construction of such pool projects a bit less onerous.

In back-to-back unanimous votes yesterday (Tuesday), the County Board approved the pool zoning tweaks, then used those new rules to give Macedonia Baptist Church the go-ahead to build the new pool at 3440 22nd Street S.

Around Town

Here’s Where You Can Hit the Pool in Arlington, Even Though Summer’s Over

By Alex Koma

Published October 16, 2018 at 11:45AM | Updated October 16, 2018 at 12:25PM

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) Summer may be fading in the rearview mirror, but there are still plenty of public pools open for anyone looking to hit the water around Arlington.

The county doesn’t operate any indoor pools on its own — something that will change when the Long Bridge Park aquatics center opens a few years from now — but three pools in Arlington high schools are open for public use.

News

County Planning Zoning Tweaks to Ease Construction of Community Pools

By Alex Koma

Published October 4, 2018 at 10:45AM

Arlington officials are gearing up to loosen some of the zoning rules governing community swimming pools, in a bid to make it easier for organizations to build or renovate pools across the county.

The Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the zoning tweaks this coming Wednesday (Oct. 10), with the County Board considering the changes soon afterward.

News

County Renews Long-Stymied Efforts to Find Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center Sponsors

By Alex Koma

Published July 26, 2018 at 9:45AM

Long Bridge Park aquatics center family pool (via Arlington County)

County officials haven’t given up hope that they might someday find corporate sponsors for the Long Bridge Park aquatics center, in order to offset some of the costs of the controversial project.

With work on the $60 million facility formally kicking off this week, the county is also moving closer to hiring a marketing firm to help it recruit potential partners for Long Bridge. Officials hope to start soliciting bids from companies before the year is out.

News

After Years of Delays, County Finally Breaks Ground on Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center

By Alex Koma

Published July 24, 2018 at 1:45PM

County Board members Libby Garvey and Katie Cristol, right, help break ground on the Long Bridge Park aquatics center.

Very little about the effort to build an aquatics center at Long Bridge Park has ever been easy — and that includes the project’s long-awaited groundbreaking.

Mother Nature had one last obstacle in store for county leaders as they gathered to finally turn some dirt at Long Bridge, delivering a formidable deluge that thoroughly soaked the construction site ahead of Tuesday’s ceremonial start to construction.

News

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published July 20, 2018 at 8:30AM

Students Sue Over W-L Name Change Decision — Three current students at the school claim Arlington’s School Board didn’t follow proper procedure in voting to start the process of stripping Robert E. Lee’s name from the school earlier this summer. [WUSA]

Could Jeff Bezos Buy Crystal City’s Biggest Property Owner? — JBG Smith’s CEO isn’t sure, but he’s heard the rumors too. The company took over the ownership of the bulk of buildings in the neighborhood from Vornado/Charles E. Smith and is a key part of Crystal City’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters. [Washington Business Journal]

News

Vihstadt Argues for Another Delay of Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center

By Alex Koma

Published July 9, 2018 at 10:55AM

Long Bridge Park aquatics center family pool (via Arlington County)

County Board member John Vihstadt is renewing his push to delay the construction of the Long Bridge Park aquatics center.

Vihstadt is waging a lonely battle against the oft-postponed project as the county’s budget picture grows increasingly grim. He says the $60 million the county’s set to spend on the new pool would be better spent on building new schools or buying additional park land, particularly considering that Arlington is feeling a financial squeeze at the moment.

News

Career Center Working Group Opens Up Possibility Of Swimming Pool

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Published April 27, 2018 at 9:45AM

The possibility of including a swimming pool in Career Center site planning arose at a joint Arlington County Board/Arlington Public Schools work session last week.

Kristi Sawert, who presented Career Center site considerations for programming and amenities during the work session, said that the pool possibility was “one of the more lively discussions” that the working group has had. Sawert listed several reasons for being pro-pool, including what she called a long-standing APS and School Board policy that aquatics education is essential.

Around Town

First Responders Prepare for Annual Block Party, Film Silly Video

By Brooke Giles

Published July 21, 2017 at 11:00AM

Officers getting filmed for a promotional video.

The free block party is an effort the connect the community with police officers. One of the highlights of the event will be “Behind the Badge,” an activity that will give attendees the chance to simulate real-world police scenarios.

It includes brief training on police tactics and will allow participants to play the role of a police officer in two scenarios.