You won't see any fireworks shooting off just yet, but if you look just past the National Guard Armory in Estate Nazareth, you can see a large part of a 12-year dream coming true.
Kathy Huttel, executive director of the St. Thomas Swimming Association, stood on the handicap ramp of STSA's almost completed shell for the island's first community pool, and smiled widely.
"And to think it's been called a hole in the ground with water, or a cistern without a top," she said. The structure is built above ground, for one thing. In fact, the shell represents countless hurdles crossed since Huttel first conceived the idea in the early 80's.
At that time, Huttle recognized the need for a pool for local residents, children especially, but for all ages
as well for exercise and rehabilitation from injury, and as protection from the elements. "For instance," Huttel said, "I was going to take a group of our young swimmers to Magens last Thursday, but the surf was too high to swim."
Huttel said getting to where the project is now, hasn't been a cakewalk. Anything but; it's been a lot of hard work by volunteers. STSA is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization, formed in 1986.
The organization is well known for its swimming programs run in conjunction with the Boy and Girls Scouts, Special Olympics, Lutheran Church summer camps, and the Department of Human Services, to name a few. STSA also has a competitive swimming team, the "Stingrays."
Though the lack of adequate swimming facilities was recognized by the organization, it wasn't until 1988 that a site was found and they were able to negotiate a lease from the V.I. government. And then came the never-ending requirements for a Coastal Zone Management Permit.
"We had to do what's called 'hand clearing' on the property," Huttel said, explaining just one, small hurdle. She explained that hand clearing was necessary because of the danger that would be posed to tree boas, an endangered species, by large equipment. "So we got a bunch of kids and parents with machetes, and we cleared the entire property,"she said.
Huttel relates all this with the good nature of someone who has lived on the island for a long time. She said the organization had so much trouble with the CZM permit, and other requirements, that she went to then Governor Alexander Farrelly with a plea for help, which worked. Farrelly called his entire cabinet together in his office and instructed them to help ease the way. "And they did," she said.
In addition to the CZM permit, there were additional costs for engineers, architects, well testing, overhead photos and an environmental report, Huttel said. The lease and the necessary Coastal Zone Management permit alone came to $121,000
The official ground-breaking came in March 1995, and excavation of the "25 meter hole," was done between June and August of 1995. What happened in October 1995 is history, with the disastrous visit of Hurricane Marilyn.
The site was used for seven months by the V.I. Housing Authority for storage space for materials for the Nazareth Bay Temporary Housing project, after which Huttel found they were starting to build the project there. She was quick to point out where the project was to be constructed next door. Another time, she had to redirect the V.I. Water and Power Authority from putting down lines on the property.
The pool will provide a safe, controlled environment that isn't subject to surf, jellyfish or pollution, Huttel explained. "Many of our residents don't swim for fear of what's in the sea, and they learn more easily in a pool." .
With the new facility, STSA can expand its programs, and local schools can include swimming in their curricula, Huttel said. "Off island teams can rent the facility for training, (and for a revenue source for STSA), and local swimmers can train for international competition, including the Olympics," she proudly added.
The pool is Phase One of the STSA Community Aquatic Center, an ambitious, five phase project, which occupies 3.5 acres in Estate Nazareth. When completed, the Center will boast two pools, the present one and a 50 meter pool, as well as dorms for visiting international competitors, and concession areas.
However, that is in the future. Right now, Huttel is happy viewing the new 25 meter pool. "It is built to exact specifications," Huttel said, "You cannot be off by so much a half inch."
She said that competitive times recorded in the pool can be taken to competitions anywhere. "For instance, say you have a time of 52 seconds – you will be able to take that to the Olympics, to mainland competitions, wherever. It is an officially recognized time."
There have been bright sides, too. In 1999 Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises donated $100,000 for the Center, "and this is what we're standing in now," Huttel said, signaling to the cement structure surrounding us.
The organization gets strong community support from Bellows International, which has sponsored STSA's annual Snapple Swim-A-Thon for the past 13 years, the West Indian Company, and many other private sector and individual contributions.
STSA will have spent $187,000 with completion of the pool, office, lockers, walls, decking, water lines, electrical and plumbing work.
The final pour of the pool walls is anticipated early in May. When asked when the pool will open for business, Huttel laughed. "We still need another $100,000 for completion of this phase,"she said.
That will include finishing the lockers, office, sidewalks, shade structure, equipment storage shed, landscaping, filling the pool – and a lot of fund-raising. When the pool actually opens its doors, it will have cost a total of $300,000.
