Swim Winchester Blog

An article in The Daily Times Chronicle summarizes Swim Winchester activities as it moves into the preliminary design phase for the pool project.

A request for proposals (RFP) from architectural and engineering teams interested in producing conceptual and schematic designs for the Swim Winchester aquatic center project was released on January 14, 2022. The RFP document can be viewed or downloaded as a PDF here. This design phase is anticipated to wrap-up in late 2022. During spring and summer 2022, there will be many opportunities for community input on design options. If you’d like to be contacted to participate in focus groups around the aquatic center design, please contact us at info@swimwinchester.org or fill out our volunteer survey.

Saturday September 18th, 9 AM – 4 PM

Featuring Stu Issac of the Isaac Sport group, one of Swim Winchester’s partners in determining programming and financials. Stu will be answering your questions and discussing the community aquatic facility.

Stu brings 46 years of professional experience in aquatics, sports marketing, and sports organization to ISG. Stu’s expertise and strengths build on his creative approach to integrating design, programming, marketing, and sales while building partnerships among facilities, communities, businesses, and organizations. As the founder and President of the Isaac Sports Group, Stu has created a renowned consulting firm building on his unique broad-based experience and network of aquatic and sport leaders and organizations nationwide. His leadership and active involvement with all clients focuses on quality personal engagement with each client and stakeholder to identify needs, goals, objectives, and opportunities for the project or the organization and develop specific analysis, strategic development, design concepts, financial structure, and action plan for the successful execution of the project or campaign to achieve the clients’ goals and objectives in the most cost-effective manner. Swim Winchester is excited to partner with Stu and ISG; their dedication and expertise both aligns with and enhances our vision for a community gathering place.

As a former competitive swimmer and mother of two, Shannon believes in an inclusive, active community. She moved to Winchester in 2012 and became a Town Meeting Member as well as a member of the FAN board to become more involved with, and learn from, the community. Swim Winchester’s vision to create a center of community engagement is an important project to provide accessible physical and social support to our community. Shannon looks forward to working on publicity for this integral community resource with the board.

We are happy to share this article by Ryan LaRoche from the Daily Times Chronicle, published April 5, 2021, giving an important update on the progress of Swim Winchester. Please note this key correction of the information in the article: we have not concluded our 2021 Feasibility Study with the ISG consulting firm, as the article states. The Study’s Phase 1, with a focus on design and programming, was just completed in March 2021. We are currently working with ISG to complete Phase 2, to understand the fundraising needs and self-sustaining costs of the facility. The study should be concluded in its entirety by the summer.

Swim Winchester gives pool update

In an effort to update the Select Board on the progress of the community swimming pool, Swim Winchester President Amanda Lewis told the board her organization completed $250k in fundraising last year to provide a more advanced conceptual design. She said they engaged aquatic consulting firm Isaac Sports Group with support from Water Technology Inc. in October.

Lewis outlined Phase I work as analyzing the design and programming for the community aquatic center through focus groups and meetings with potential partners. She mentioned the feasibility study which Swim Winchester completed in March, along with a review of the 2014 study, and updating needs, plus program and design options/recommendations.

Focus groups include young families, older adults, those with special needs, master swimmers, and Winchester High School families. Lewis added partnerships include the Jenks Center, Winchester Hospital, the Gables, the Recreation Department, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Swim Angelfish Adaptive Program.

The Swim Winchester president went over the design to feature a lane pool (25 yards and eight lanes), a leisure pool with warmer water and a therapy pool with even warmer water (she said this would require extra fundraising).

As the process continues, Lewis said they’ll need to develop a schedule matrix for all the potential programs. She noted how the point of the project involves creating a community center that will be wide-ranging and inclusive with volunteer opportunities.

With the feasibility study finished, Lewis said the next steps involve the beginning of a Phase II study this month with budget projects and membership projections and an RFP process to choose an architectural firm.

She suggested the pool could open in upwards of five years.

The Select Board thanked Lewis for her dedication to the project. She could possibly return in the fall with another update.

Read the article here.

Swim Winchester President Amanda Lewis presented a report to the Winchester Select Board describing our recent progress in planning for the proposed swimming pool complex on Skillings Field. We are currently updating our original 2014 Feasibility Study to better define community needs, programming, and potential partnerships. We are working with the nationally recognized aquatics consultant Isaac Sports Group (ISG) with support from Water Technology Inc. to complete this work.