MIDDLEBURGH - The Village of Middleburgh is quickly moving toward a historic and much needed rehabilitation of the community pool.
In July, officials announced that the village has been awarded up to $1.2 million in New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) grant funds to make improvements to the pool. The project will total $1.5 million, including a 20 percent local match.
Mayor Tim Knight announced at last week's village board meeting that over the past month, he has had several meetings with DASNY, Delaware Engineering, and the Joint Recreation Commission to begin moving forward on this $1.5 million project. The village has submitted the first section of documentation to DASNY which will start a three-month process of documentation, financial, and site review leading to a Grant Disbursement Agreement.
Once the agreement is put in place, the Mayor added, the village will have three years to complete the project. The preliminary project timeline is to do engineering over winter 2026-27, then open the project up to bidding in the winter/spring 2027, begin construction mid-August 2027 so that the pool is not closed an entire season, and complete construction by early June 2028. This schedule is subject to change.
The Joint Recreation Commission and community members are planning to fundraise in order to help offset the village's local share, and there will be in-kind work completed by the village clerk's Office and DPW as well, Mayor Knight said.
In order to move toward the 20 percent match, village officials last week established a “Village Pool Project” checking account for NY SWIMS Project. In addition, board members approved a motion to transfer $37,000 from “Pool Repair Fund” and $43,000 from “JRC Donations Account” to the new account.
In a joint effort between the village board and the Joint Recreation Commission, a Pool Revitalization Committee was established in 2024 to begin identifying areas for renovation for the pool that has served generations of Middleburgh residents by teaching youngsters to swim and offering a free, safe space for youth during the summertime.
The Pool Revitalization Committee – working in concert with both Delaware Engineering and the Village Department of Public Works – pulled together a $1.5 million improvement plan that would expand the bath house and incorporate a concession stand, improve accessibility in the pool itself and throughout the facilities, upgrade mechanics, replace the pool deck, and build a new pavilion. Other additions and upgrades at the pool may include: a handrail, a relining and retiling of the pool, a new guard chair, and dressing rooms.
The pool is structurally fine, officials said.
Endorsed unanimously by the Board of Trustees, the Village committed to the $300,000 local share for this project if awarded NY SWIMS funds in September 2025. Delaware Engineering wrote the grant application at no charge to the Village of Middleburgh. Improving the Community Pool was identified as the top priority of village residents in a grants survey conducted last spring.
