Pool Re-opens on West Side
After a $15.3 million renovation, the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center reopened at 232 W. 60th St, between West End and Amsterdam avenues, June 20. "Opening the doors to this center and naming it after an inspirational athlete from the Upper West Side, makes for a great day for all New Yorkers, but particularly for this community," said New York City Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White. "The Gertrude Ederle Recreation Renter is a state-of-the-art facility with expanded programming to learn, to get active and to stay fit," she said.
The center is named in honor of Gertrude Ederle, a local resident who was the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926, according toManhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. The center has new amenities including a state-of-the-art indoor pool, new and improved gymnasium and redesigned fitness facility, a youth activities room, and a computer room. Fitness facilities include a new cardio room and aerobic studio.
"It is a pleasure to be included in the opening ceremony for the newly renovated recreational center, being renamed in honor of my aunt, Gertrude Ederle," said Mary Ederle Ward, niece of Gertrude Ederle. "Aunt Trudy was a pioneer for women in sports and promoted physical fitness throughout her life. A lifelong New Yorker, she would be especially happy to be part of a facility that fosters the present and future generations to remain healthy through exercise and.swimming."
Gertrude Ederle grew up near the building in the early 1900s. An avid swimmer, she competed in the 1924 Olympics. She learned how to swim by watching others at local pools.
The project was funded with allocations of $5.25 million from Council Member Gail A. Brewer, $4.05 million from Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, $1 million from Borough President Stringer, $248,000 in federal grants obtained with the help ofCongressman Jerrold Nadler, and $4.7 million obtained from private developers who built high rise buildings in the neighborhood.