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February 15, 2008
$50 Million McCarren Makeover Gaining Momentum
Plans to remake the McCarren Park Pool, one of eleven WPA pools opened around the city in 1936, took one step closer to becoming reality when the city released renderings yesterday of the Rogers Marvel designs. The most notable aspect of the design is a large jetty jutting out into the middle of the pool that in the winter would double as an ice skating rink. The city is chomping champing at the bit to start spending the estimated $50 million it'll take to build this. The biggest hurdle remaining? Sign-off from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
McCarren Pool to rise from deep [NY Daily News] GMAP
McCarren Pool Plans Renderings & Full Reveal [Gowanus Lounge]
The Redone McCarren Pool Fully Revealed [Curbed]
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Comments
the phrase is actually "champing at the bit"
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:34 AM
Hey, 10:34 - you beat me to that.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:00 AM
No disrespect to the pool. Sounds great but 50 mil on a pool during this budget crunch?
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:01 AM
Beautiful design. Hope this gets built. Also hope it doesn't follow the same construction history as the 2nd ave subway. (Under construction since 1955)
What does "champing" mean?
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:03 AM
The $50 mil was a gift from the mayor specifically for the pool's rehab, made after the city decided it was too expensive to fix.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:11 AM
Does anyone REALLY think that semicircular pool on the side is going to feature a diving board? I'd be amazed (and quite stoked) if it did.... Love the design, love the idea. Do it post haste!
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:24 AM
Kinda wish there was a little side pool for the tots... but ya can't have everything.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:33 AM
The un-watered semicircle to the north (right of the page) used to be a kiddy pool. I think I read somewhere that the city intends to reclaim it eventually, just not at this stage.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:53 AM
The 50 mil was a gift from the Mayor? Man he's generous.
Posted by: Jeremy at February 15, 2008 12:13 PM
11:03 What does "champing" mean?
Champ is an early English variation for the word chomp. the bit is the part of the rein that goes in the horse's mouth. for some reason the idiom has remained champ, not chomp, at the bit, though they mean exactly the same thing.
Posted by: Vanderman at February 15, 2008 12:33 PM
That structure over the semicircular pool is probably a sprinkler, not a diving board. They have those at Red Hook Pool.
Some time ago, in response to liability concerns, the city filled in the diving tanks at all its pools and converted them into wading pools.
It's pretty near impossible to find a diving board at a public pool anymore.
Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at February 15, 2008 12:41 PM
It appears on the image above that the City will resurrect the diving pool. Not likely but lets see. Perhaps they might upgrade the Sunset Park pools complex at the same time. There is an empty diving pool, which the City wanted to eliminate, and a 'kiddie' pool, which is also inoperative.
At least the main pool remained open all these years to serve both the neighborhood and greater Brooklyn. The locals never petitioned the City to close it down to eliminate 'that element' from the park as was the case with Greenpoint.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 12:48 PM
I used to go to this pool when I was a kid and am glad to see it being refurbished.
There were 3 pools: the main large pool, a diving pool (the semi circle) and a kiddie pool.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 1:01 PM
looks like sim city
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 1:34 PM
As long as they make the hipsters (and everyone else for that matter) shower before they get in... I'm in
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 1:47 PM
But arent all the hipsters are going to drown on summer sundays?
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 2:12 PM
this is fabulous
i love the park
especially the new running track, and i like the west end with the trees and the ball park - feels like a small town there.
with all the young families in the area, the pool will be a big hit.
hooray!
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 2:26 PM
Amazing, a Williamsburg post that went almost FOUR HOURS without any cheap hipster jokes. What's wrong with everyone today?
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 2:27 PM
such a wholesome post 2:26. awwww
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 2:39 PM
"Hipsters" are too weak and skinny to swim, and too pale to sit in the sun. If you provided some shade, perhaps they would sit around and smoke cigarettes here, though.
Posted by: fencer at February 15, 2008 2:49 PM
oh god. no one say hipster. as a not hipster in williamsburg, all i see every day are people on their way to work and back. it is a younger demographic overall in williamsburg, but it appears like the majority has jobs. how can people bitch that the L is crowded, but also say that everyone is sitting around all day supported by their parents?
it's all silly and not helpful.
personally, i think that the brownstoner set who has money lying around should go buy up studios/one bedrooms just east of the BQE as investments. the rental mkt in williamsburg is very very strong.
however, is there a place here for a real real estate comment still??
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 3:35 PM
the young families wanting to move into williamsburg must be stopped! Keep the young and creative single people there.
Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 5:31 PM
The semicircular pool to the east (left in photo) was a diving pool and will be rebuilt as diving pool. The architect said that they will be raising the deck around that pool to make the pool itself a couple of feet deeper (I guess that's cheaper than digging down more). It will also have more than one diving board.
The semicircle to the west (right in photo) was once a wading pool. It is now a sprinkler area for tots, part of the Abate playground, and not part of the pool scope. However, the western portion of the main pool will have a "zero edge", meaning a long gentle slope from the deck into the pool. That's for wheelchairs as well as children/adults wading. Not quite a wading pool, but close.
The above is all based on the presentation the other night; since everything is conceptual at this point, it is subject to change.
Last - the Mayor is pretty generous (he can afford to be), but I think the pool reconstruction is part of the city's capital budget. The first installment (planning $$) is in the budget for the current fiscal year; construction funding is allocated for the coming fiscal year.
Posted by: WBer at February 15, 2008 6:08 PM
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