Photo Credit / Shannon McFarlin of Radio NWTN
It’s the end of an era for the Olympic-sized swimming pool inside the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
On Thursday, March 16, an email was sent out to all students and faculty by the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Andy Lewter, announcing that UT Martin is permanently closing the pool. The closure was effective immediately due to the cost of repairs, need for renovations, and lack of student and community attendance.
However, a new UT Martin Campus Master Plan is in development and the pool space could be converted into an indoor recreational facility, which could create more opportunities for athletic practices and intramural events. This could be another potential recreational center like the current one on campus, which can lead to additional job positions for students. Furthermore, there still could be hope for a brand-new pool as the Master Plan calls for construction of an improved and updated pool. Design work and funding are not yet available, and no timetable has been set. So, there will be more information to come once a decision is made.
The Elam Center was constructed in 1976 and the current pool was last renovated in 2004.
