Short-term pool lease with swim club approved
By Grace Lovins
The Birmingham Blue Dolphins swim club is now a tenant of the city-owned building at 400 E. Lincoln following city commissioners approval of a short-term lease agreement for six months, allowing them to take over operations and maintenance of the pool and lower level of what had been a YMCA building.
From October 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, the Blue Dolphins will occupy 14,550 square feet of the building, including the pool, exercise room, locker rooms and related facilities.
City manager Jana Ecker said the Blue Dolphins had already been handling maintenance of the pool after they entered into an interim management agreement for September while officials finalized the lease. She also noted that, while the lease is a short-term, there is the option for extensions, but the timeframe allows the club to find their footing before committing to long-term operations.
The agreement presented to commissioners made the Blue Dolphins responsible for utilities attributable to the lower level and pool along with pool operations, routine maintenance, chemicals and repairs to filtration, circulation and other pool mechanical systems. At the request of commissioner Andrew Haig and with consensus from the city and swim club, the rental payment was decreased from $100 per month to $1 per month, matching preexisting leases the city has with other organizations.
As part of the lease terms, the swim club must also provide public swimming opportunities. Ecker explained that the club has said their teams would realistically only be practicing before and after school, leaving the days open for public use. She said the club has also agreed to provide a discounted rate for Birmingham residents to use the pool.
Commissioners previously heard about the lease agreement during their Monday, September 14, workshop. With little additional discussion during this Monday’s meeting, the commission voted unanimously 6-0 to approve the lease agreement.
