The Greensboro Aquatic Center, part of the Coliseum Complex, is located on High Point Road beside the ACC Hall of Champions. If you look closely (or enlarge the photo) near the purple, you can see workers in the process of finishing the exterior. Like the new baseball stadium, the history of the aquatic center is not without controversy. Confusion the way it was presented to the public in the bond referendum and concern that it was a non-essential in these financially difficult times were the two main issues.

Fortunately, bookings are starting to pour in. The 2011 Masters Swimming High Performance Camp will be held here at the end of August. This camp will attract competitive adult swimmers and coaches from all over the USA. Next spring’s Masters Championship will be held here, April 2012. Also in April, the venue will host the 2012 YMCA National Short Course Championship which historically attracts 1,600 swimmers and 4,000 spectators. If you have ever been involved in an away sporting event, you know that one can easily spend $500 dollars between several days in hotels, food, sports-related paraphanelia, gas, etc. 

Those involved in competitive swimming in Greensboro know that it is difficult to find pool time for practice and meets. Many of the facilities with Olympic-sized pools lack adequate space for spectators. This venue will change the face of swimming in Greensboro. Let us hope that at the end of the day, as was the case with Newbridge Bank Baseball Park, the Greensboro Aquatic Center will be “a good thing” for Greensboro. For sure, the face of High Point Road is changing as we type. Just the sight of that wavy roof makes us want to grab our goggles and suit up!