by Claire Anderson | Dec 27, 2024 | News
Longtime FLIP donors Diana and Ed Sheridan are ready to JUMP IN when the Lopez Swim Center opens its doors in late 2025. Here’s what Ed recently wrote to FLIP:
“Let me get my swimming trunks!! I’m 86 and I love to swim on Cape Cod or soon, on Lopez Island.
I am enthusiastic about our new pool, and I’m proud that my wife and I were able to contribute to the costs for planning and designing it.
Our new pool will be a gift for all of the San Juan Islands. It will appeal to older folks like me, and also to the folks who are introducing their children to the warm waters of our first-class pool.
When you hear the whistle, then it’s time to jump into the water!”
by Claire Anderson | Dec 3, 2024 | News
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The Lopez Swim Center is under construction on Pool Lane. The pools’ excavation is finished, with construction of the mechanical building coming next. Watch as progress continues on Pool Lane!
And don’t miss your chance to double your impact NOW: Your year-end donations help fund completion of the Swim Center.
More than 1,300 donors have joined already, and we‘ll be even stronger with your support. TAKE THE PLUNGE! DONATE TODAY to reach our $250,000 year-end goal! |
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To kick off this year-end fundraiser, Lopezians Leslie Quenell and Brian Silverstein will match all gifts received, up to $5,000!
This local dynamic duo has been supporting the idea of having a local swim center for years. “Our daughter started taking swimming lessons in public pools at age 4, when we lived in Portland,” says Brian, “so we understand the importance of helping kids get these skills from an early age. Here on Lopez, we are concerned about how few local island kids have basic swimming skills.”
“What we want for all Islanders is year-round, easy access to pools for fitness, water safety, and fun,” says Leslie. “There is no better time to join FLIP. We want to get the pools done so we can swim. Please join us!” |
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Aqua Therapy at the Swim Center Provides New Hope for Healing
In partnership with Lopez Island Physical Therapy (LIPT), the Lopez Swim Center will offer a new path on the island to recover from injury or deal with chronic pain: aqua therapy.
The Center’s 24-by-38 warm-water wellness pool will be the site for this highly effective type of physical therapy.
Lopezian Scott Allred, board-certified specialist in orthopedic physical therapy and owner of LIPT, is excited to offer this unique service to the island community. He believes it will make a big difference for islanders who could benefit from an alternative to treatment in a traditional clinic setting.
“Aqua therapy facilitates many of the modalities we do in physical therapy—stretching, strengthening, relieving pain—but in a gentler way,” says Allred. “It gives you a ton of pain-relieving options to perform exercises.”
What makes aqua therapy so great?
- Less pain, more gain: Water makes you more buoyant and movement easier, reducing stress on your joints and muscles.
- Build strength, gently: The water’s resistance helps you get stronger without straining your body.
- Relax and heal: The warm water can help soothe your muscles and improve blood flow, improving mobility.
Aqua therapy can help people of all ages with a variety of conditions, such as:
- Sports injuries
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Neurological conditions (like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s)
“Aqua therapy allows people to perform exercises in a way that is less painful and has less impact on the body,” says Allred. “Most physical therapy clinics don’t provide aqua therapy because it requires access to a pool and specialized training; it’s not common,” he says. “I’m excited to offer it here on Lopez.”
If you think you might benefit from aqua therapy, Allred recommends seeking a physical therapy referral from your primary care provider.
“We’re looking forward to using this as another way to treat islanders and help them resume the activities they want to do again. Aqua therapy provides a great alternative for people.” |
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| Scott Allred, DPT and owner of Lopez Island Physical Therapy, with his wife Adriane, their children Hugo and Andie, and goldendoodle Wally. |
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by Claire Anderson | Sep 24, 2024 | News
As the weeks unfold and summer has turned to fall, there’s been plenty of activity on Pool Lane to get YOUR SWIM CENTER built! Crews have been busy with site work these past few weeks, and the spaces for the two pools have been excavated, with concrete work to follow.
Stay tuned as this project unfolds, and follow YOUR POOL’S PROGRESS here, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
by Claire Anderson | Sep 1, 2024 | News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | August 2024
Construction Begins on Lopez Swim Center; Local Contractors Chosen for Project
The long-awaited construction of the Lopez Swim Center, located on 2.5 acres just off Center Road, is officially underway, marking a significant milestone for islanders. With two pools—one four-lane lap pool and one warmer-water wellness pool—the Center promises to be a beacon of health, wellness, and recreation for residents and visitors of all ages.
Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP) board and committee members were on hand for the first shovel in the ground. Plans are underway for a community event to celebrate this milestone moment later this fall.
Sage Building Solutions, owned by longtime Lopezians Jenny and Doug Poole, is the general contractor for the project. They bring their expertise and commitment along with Donnie Poole as site superintendent. Other local contractors are involved: MR Buffum of Lopez Sand & Gravel is currently doing excavation and site work; local architects Lois and Bob Wardell of Wardell Architects are helping shepherd the project; and Tom Froning of Lopez-based design-build firm Soundesign is FLIP’s Owner’s Representative.
“There has been a tremendous response by local contractors to help bring this long-awaited vision to reality,” says Executive Director Anne Marie MacPherson, “and to do so in the most cost-effective way possible.”
Construction kicked off with site mobilization and preparation during the first week of August. Utilities are getting placed and, once site grading is complete, excavation for the two pools will begin. The steel-framed Myrtha pools purchased earlier this year are already in storage on-site.
Construction is expected to take about 12 months, with the Swim Center slated to open in Fall 2025. Final fundraising efforts will run synchronously with the construction project to complete the capital campaign.
The Swim Center will be a year-round place for the community and visitors alike to come together for fun, fitness, and healing. From community gatherings to outdoor BBQs on the lawn; to exercise classes and physical therapy; from lap swimming to camps and family Dive-In Movie nights, the Swim Center will have something to offer everyone. In the summer, the pools will be open-air, so that swimmers can bask in the sunshine. In the winter, the pools will be enclosed within a heated, air-supported structure, which offers significant cost-savings upfront compared to a conventionally built natatorium.
Operating as a nonprofit, the Swim Center will be open to the public but will not rely upon property tax monies or levies. Instead, user fees (including memberships, drop-in and weekly passes), fitness class and training fees, summer and winter camp tuition, and special event and facility rentals will support the Center’s financial viability, now and in the future. Scholarships, sponsorships, and discounted memberships will ensure all who want to swim can join the fun. (For more details on proposed membership tiers, visit FLIP’s website.)
The Center is currently recruiting skilled swimmers, aged 15 and up, to participate in lifeguard certification training in preparation for paid positions as lifeguards, junior lifeguards, and swimming instructors. The first informational meeting this fall will be on Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Lopez Library’s meeting room.
As operations unfold, FLIP is looking for more community members to join the inaugural crew and help with events and prepare for opening day! Visit www.lopezislandpool.org/volunteer.
by Claire Anderson | Aug 16, 2024 | News
Board and Committee members were on hand for the first shovel in the ground (see video below) and we invite the ENTIRE community to celebrate this milestone moment this fall! Look for announcements coming soon
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by Claire Anderson | Feb 22, 2024 | News
The Dream Has Arrived:
THE POOLS ARE HERE!
The two Myrtha pools arrived on Lopez on January 30th and are in storage on Pool Lane.
We are eagerly anticipating the culmination of the construction campaign to close the gap in fundraising. We’re almost there, and getting closer every day, thanks to your ongoing support. The Islands will Swim!
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Winter Appeal Brings in More Than $720K!
We are thrilled to announce that our 2023 Winter Appeal was a tremendous success, raising $723,154.35! We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our donors who generously contributed to this important fundraising effort. Thanks to your support, we are getting closer to construction. We truly could not have done it without you. You are making the dream come alive!
P.S. Did you donate to FLIP in 2023? If you’d like a duplicate report of your tax-deductible giving, we can help! Please contact info@lopezislandpool.org.
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“Pool Progress: Behind the Scenes of the Lopez Swim Center” is an eight-part informational series about the Lopez Swim Center. These articles are possible thanks to a Lopez Thrift Shop grant. This is part five of the series: FLIP interviews Stu Isaac of Isaac Sports Group, FLIP’s Aquatic Advisor.
Financial Sustainability & Membership at the Lopez Swim Center
FLIP: How did you approach this project?
Our first steps were to understand the unique elements of Lopez Island and how they impact the Swim Center’s development and operation. We viewed this through the lens of best practices that apply to all aquatic facilities, as well as our extensive research on Puget Sound area swim facilities.
What is the Center’s model for operating and how will it be affordable to all?
FLIP is a nonprofit business, combining the best of public and private swimming models. Similar to any business, it needs to be financially sustainable, but as a nonprofit, it also must be affordable to all. A financial assistance program was established to provide discounts of 50%, 75%, and, in special cases, 90%. This was one of the most important outcomes of our business planning.
The Center will not rely on levies or taxes for funding. Instead, it relies upon user fees and pool passes, which make up 65% of overall revenue. The estimates of pool-pass sales is also conservative, with Year One projections at only 68% of projected full use by Year Three.
Summer-season prices will reflect peak demand, and allow annual and monthly pool-pass prices to be kept low for the nonpeak season (eight months of the year). We strongly feel the pool-pass projections are very conservative. These projections assume that, by Year Two, only 14% of Lopez families with children under 18 will have an annual Swim Center family pool pass. The market penetration for seniors is even lower, with our senior annual pool-pass projections showing only 9% of Lopez seniors having passes. We estimate adult-specific annual pool-pass sales to only 10% of adult residents. Overall, we project that 19% of Lopez year-round residents will have some type of monthly or annual pool pass at the Swim Center.
Having two pools offers the ability for concurrent programming, providing more opportunities for fun and significantly bolstering the Center’s financial sustainability. A wide range of programs, such as swimming lessons, special events (birthday parties or sunset gatherings at the pool), facility rentals, and a variety of classes, will generate an additional 31% of gross revenue, with only 4% of the total revenue coming from annual fundraising. |
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…I am now very confident in the financial viability and the budget projections for the Swim Center—and in the incredible game-changer the Center will be in the overall quality of life for all Lopez Island residents.
—Stu Isaac, FLIP Aquatic Advisor
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Pools are expensive to run; how is this any different?
Expense projections were based on best-practice operations to keep the Swim Center safely operating for years to come. We worked closely with Water Technology Inc. (WTI), the project’s aquatic engineers, to identify key technologies that reduce maintenance costs, as well as energy, water, and chemical use. The operational savings pay for the incremental cost of the technology in the first two to three years of the Center’s operation; the return on investment over the long term is very good. Utility costs constitute less than 10% of total operating costs, which is also excellent. Staffing costs make up 60% of total operating costs, which is right in line with best-practice aquatic facilities around the country.The Center has made strategic decisions to limit costs. For example, instead of having a permanent water slide, FLIP will rotate flexible activities, from inflatable obstacle courses to pool log-rolling, which collectively cost just 20% of what a water slide would cost and do not require additional assigned lifeguards at the top and bottom of the water slide. Rotating activities keep programs fresh so that people want to come back. We feel that the expense model for the Swim Center is realistic and conservative.
What about long-term maintenance and equipment replacement?
FLIP secured an initial donor commitment of $510,000 to seed its Capital Reserve Fund (CRF). Our budget projections predict net annual revenue beginning in Year 3, which will allow the Center to allocate funds to the CRF over subsequent years, accruing $1.85M by Year 20. Besides the CRF, the Center’s budget provides best-practice maintenance funding to meet all equipment maintenance requirements and recommendations to limit unexpected capital maintenance needs.
What provides some assurance of the Center’s financial sustainability?
We worked with a bottom-up approach and only consolidated revenue and expense totals at the very end, without targeting specific financial results. This approach ensures the accuracy of our projection, and gives both FLIP and us strong confidence in the validity of the operating budget. Over the course of our research, program design, and development of the business model, I am now very confident in the financial viability and the budget projections for the Swim Center—and in the incredible game-changer the Center will be in the overall quality of life for all Lopez Island residents. |
by Claire Anderson | Jan 10, 2024 | News
Attend Friends of Lopez Island Pool’s annual (virtual) public board meeting, with election of officers and committee updates and reports. Time at the end of the meeting will be available for public questions.
Lopez Swim Center Public Board Meeting (Online)
Jan 18, 2024
5:00 – 6:30 pm
Online (Zoom) Meeting
Please email director@lopezislandpool.org for the Zoom virtual meeting link.
by Claire Anderson | Dec 31, 2023 | News
FLIP’s 2023 series of informational interviews with pool experts and articles on pool progress was made possible by a generous grant from the Lopez Thrift Shop. We greatly appreciate their support in helping spread the word about the Lopez Swim Center!
by Claire Anderson | Dec 26, 2023 | News
“Pool Progress: Behind the Scenes of the Lopez Swim Center” is an eight-part informational series about the Lopez Swim Center. These articles are possible thanks to a Lopez Thrift Shop grant. This is part five of this series: FLIP interviews Stu Isaac of Isaac Sports Group, FLIP’s Aquatic Advisor.
FLIP: How did you approach this project?
Our first steps were to understand the unique elements of Lopez Island and how they impact the Swim Center’s development and operation. We viewed this through the lens of best practices that apply to all aquatic facilities, as well as our extensive research on Puget Sound area swim facilities.
What is the Center’s model for operating and how will it be affordable to all?
FLIP is a nonprofit business, combining the best of public and private swimming models. Similar to any business, it needs to be financially sustainable, but as a nonprofit, it also must be affordable to all. A financial assistance program was established to provide discounts of 50%, 75%, and, in special cases, 90%. This was one of the most important outcomes of our business planning.
The Center will not rely on levies or taxes for funding. Instead, it relies upon user and membership fees, which makes up 65% of overall revenue.
Summer season prices will reflect peak demand, and allow annual and monthly membership prices to be kept low for the nonpeak eight months of the year. We strongly feel the membership projections are very conservative. These projections assume that only 14% of Lopez families with children under 18 will have a Swim Center family membership. The market penetration for seniors is even lower, with our senior membership projections showing only 10% of Lopez seniors. Adult-specific memberships project to 12% of adult residents.
Overall, we project that 18% of Lopez year-round residents have some type of membership in the Swim Center. Having two pools offers the ability for concurrent programming, providing more opportunities for fun and significantly bolstering financial sustainability. A wide range of programs, such as swimming lessons, special events (birthday parties and sunset gatherings at the pool), facility rentals, and a variety of classes, generate an additional 35% of gross revenue, with only 4% of the total revenue coming from annual contributions.
Pools are expensive to run; how is this any different?
Expense projections were based on best-practice operations to keep the Swim Center safely operating for years to come. We worked closely with WTI, the project’s aquatic engineers, to identify key technologies that reduce maintenance costs, and energy, water, and chemical use. The operational savings pay for the incremental cost of the technology in the first two to three years of the Center’s operation; the return on investment over the long term is very good. Utility costs constitute less than 10% of total operating costs, which is also excellent. Staffing costs make up 60% of total operating costs, which is right in line with best-practice aquatic facilities around the country. The Center has made strategic decisions to limit costs. For example, instead of having an expensive permanent slide, FLIP will rotate flexible activities, from inflatable obstacle courses to pool logrolling, which collectively cost 20% of a water slide and do not require additional assigned lifeguards. Rotating activities keeps programs fresh so that people want to come back. We feel that the expense model for the Swim Center is realistic and conservatively at the high end of the range.
What about long-term maintenance and equipment replacement?
FLIP secured an initial donor commitment of $510,000 to seed its Capital Reserve Fund (CRF). Our budget projections predict net annual revenue beginning in Year 3, which will allow the Center to allocate funds to the CRF over subsequent years, accruing $1.85M by Year 20. Besides the CRF, the Center’s budget provides best-practice maintenance funding to meet all equipment maintenance requirements and recommendations to limit unexpected capital maintenance needs.
What provides some assurance of the Center’s financial sustainability?
We worked from the bottom-up and only consolidated totals at the very end, without targeting specific financial results. This bottom-up approach ensures the accuracy of our projection and gives both FLIP and us strong confidence in the validity of the operating budget. Over the course of our research, program design, and development of the business model, I am now very confident in the financial viability and the budget projections for the Swim Center—and in the incredible game-changer the Center will be in the overall quality of life for all Lopez Island residents.
by Claire Anderson | Dec 8, 2023 | News
