February 2, 2022

UW Recreation is permanently closing the Pavilion Pool

Over the course of the winter break, there was a catastrophic failure caused by a pipe that burst in the Pavilion Pool mechanical room. This led to eight feet of flooding and damaged all the mechanical and electrical equipment in the room, including some additional plumbing damage.​

UW Recreation made the difficult decision to permanently close the Pavilion Pool rather than fixing it due to the size of the failure; the cost and time involved in attempting a repair are no longer feasible. UW Recreation manages the Pavilion Pool, but it is in the Hec Edmundson building which is an ICA facility. The Hec Edmundson Pavilion building is slated to be demolished later this year as a part of the ICA Basketball Operations construction project.

The Pavilion Pool was previously used for mid-day lap swim, swim lessons, and club practices or Intramural events, which have been on hold due to COVID-19 closures and protocols. We reopened the Pavilion Pool for limited open lap swimming beginning in spring 2021 and have been dealing with intermittent closures for minor to moderate mechanical and plumbing failures that we had the ability to repair.

Currently, there are no pools available for use for the UW students and water-based clubs/IM’s; however, the IMA Pool will be remodeled by 2023 and will be available to use at that time. Recommendations for alternative swimming options in the area include the Evans Pool, Queen Anne Pool, Ballard Pool, Helene Madison Pool, Meadowbrook Pool, and Medgar Evers Pool.

For more information on pool options and fees, you can visit the Seattle Parks & Recreation site. Joining the local YMCA might also help in finding suitable pool locations and membership details.