My son recently participated in the Black History Month Meet at the Takoma Aquatic Center. The building is located in a residential area of DC and very close to the MD line. It is the only 50 meter pool in the District of Columbia and one of the few privates in the Potomac Valley.
The building front is off of Van Buren St. which offers off street parking. A parking lot is inconveniently located in the back and it's very small. For everyday normal use it's probably not an issue. However, when there is a large event at the pool it's a bit chaotic. Overflow parking is at a H.S. beside the complex. Aquatics Director is Rob and I enjoyed meeting him on my visit. I believe he is tries to work his magic with what resources he is given.
The pool is around 10 years old, owned and operated by the District of Columbia. Its a 50 meter with bulkhead divider that can operate as two 25 yd, or meter pools for competition. There is also a 25 yd cool down pool as well as a splash area for children. There is a lot of natural light which is a plus.
The USA year around club team DC Wave operates out of the pool. I assume that with the team being smaller a ton of lane space this would not disrupt normal operation for DC residents and visitors.
A good size balcony area for spectators is great for large competitions. During the event I attended the crowd was very warm when it was very cold outside. I assume that they have an issue with ventilation. A concessions area is open during events. The scoreboard that operates during swim meets is outdated and does not have good visibility for spectators.
The deck area for competition set up is not good. There is not enough room behind the blocks for swimmers to line up. A cost saving measure in the construction I suppose. Another two feet would have been adequate. Also the deck set up is not adequate for officials to walk stroke (side) to watch the swimmers due to fixed obstacles.
For a 10 year aquatic complex it's very obvious that maintenance is not being funded by the government. Every where you look there is rust around the pool deck. A large hole is in the wall of the Men's locker room. Sinks drip and soap dispensers are either empty, or don't work.
A 50 meter pool with a cool down area is a rarity. This is a championship set up that most cities would die to have. However, this pool is extremely under utilized and it begs the question why... well I have most certainly outlined what I feel are issues to an organizer having a event here. I personally like the pool and complex because I know something like this is special. But the money required for upkeep each year is huge, possibly a million a year. So the fact DC residents get to use for FREE does not make good economic sense to me, but hey what does with the federal government.
If your a DC resident good for you on getting to swim for free. But what a shame that this nice of a facility cannot stay busy most every weekend for events that would generate revenue and make it self sustainable, rather than be a burden on tax payers. read more