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East River Swimming Pool To Launch in 2016

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Artist’s rendering of proposed East river swimming pool
Artist’s rendering of proposed East river swimming pool
Swimming in the East River may soon be a reality thanks to a “plus” shaped pool project initiated by a Brooklyn design team.  Project co-founder Archie Coates pitched the pool to be clean, safe and good for the environment and public perception. The goal, he said, is to “change the way New Yorkers see the river by giving them a chance to swim in it.”

The city has had a floating pool in the Bronx at Barretto point park since 2007. The proposed plus pool, an Olympic sized structure with cruise like decking must acquire various permits. The makers say they will use water from the East river thanks to an innovative filtration system which can recycle up to 500,000 gallons of water each day.  “It will filter the river water into safe swimmable water” said Co-founder Doug Ping Wong.

More than 3,000 people have contributed nearly $275,000 to online funding site Kickstarter in a campaign to keep the pool project afloat. Supporters can also sponsor one of the pool’s 70,000 tiles for $25, $199 or $249. If each is sponsored, Coates said, it would cover the $15 million cost to build the pool. The $275,000 raised went toward the construction of a floating lab to test the project’s filtration system.

The Plus Pool would be anchored to the river bed and have a walkway to shore, but a permanent location has not yet been determined, they said. Project spokeswoman Kanessa Tixe said pool proponents have been in talks with several locations, including Brooklyn Bridge Park. Ideally, she said, the pool would find a home in the East River, but the Hudson River and Governor’s Island are other options.

The pool team said it is testing and improving the filtration system in a 35 by 35 test pool at Pier 40 in the Hudson River. They are also monitoring the river and have partnered with Google to launch an online app broadcasting water quality data in real time.

Wong said the Plus Pool, if realized, would be open to all, with sections for children, loungers and avid lap swimmers. It may carry a small admission fee or sponsorships to cover the cost of maintenance and compensation for lifeguards, he said.

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