The CU Recreation Center’s outdoor pool remains under construction. It is scheduled to be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. (James Bradbury/CU Independent)
For students and community members around campus this summer, the CU Recreation Center’s new Ralphie-shaped outdoor pool will be open for them to enjoy starting May 26.
The construction of the new pool is one of dozens of smaller projects in the renovation of the Rec that began almost two years ago. Barbara Bogner, the manager of the ice arena and pool, said she is excited to see the pool open after watching its construction for over a year.
“I think we’re going to start a trend here with having pools shaped like mascots,” said Bogner.
Students proposed the idea for an outdoor pool in a number of surveys. This feature was considered one of the top priorities for the renovations, along with a climbing wall, additional basketball courts and more space in the weight room.
Made to accommodate laid-back activities like water basketball and sunbathing, students can also use two 25-yard lap lanes if they want to swim in the sun.
“It’s designed for leisure,” said Bogner, “not to be intimidating.”
The pool was filled just last week, but there has already been an incident of trespassing. A temporary security system is in place, equipped with cameras, motion censored floodlights and a laser beam that covers an area three feet above the entire pool deck from the Rec Center building wall to the terraces. If any of these sensors are tripped between 7 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., an alarm sounds for one minute, notifying CUPD and Rec Center officials.
While no set schedule has been released yet, the unofficial time for open swim at the new pool will be between 10 a.m. and sunset, according to Bogner. Until then, students are excited to see the completed space.
“They’ve been talking it up a lot, and I hope it’s worth the wait,” said Dylan Van de Kerkhove, a freshman electrical engineering major. “I think it will be.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kevin Joyce at Kevin.joyce@colorado.edu.
