East Harlem Pool Shut by Earthquake Reopens with a Splash

Nine years after an earthquake in New Jersey caused an East Harlem pool to be shut down due to a crack in its foundation, it has finally been repaired and the pool reopened.

Six hundred second graders are ready to make a splash.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in River East Elementary on Oct. 25, marking the reopening of a pool that will grant second grade public school students in East Harlem’s District Four access to free swimming lessons.

The reopening of the pool–and the swimming program–were made possible thanks to the Wave Makers initiative, a collaboration between nonprofit Asphalt Green, the Gray Foundation, and the offices of New York City Council Members Julie Menin from the UES and Shekar Krishnan, who represents Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Woodside.

Menin and Krishnan had co-sponsored a city council resolution that was passed in 2023 that for the first time required that all city second graders in the pubic school system receive free swimming lessons.

But when the city ran into a $7 billion budget shortfall later that year, the $5.2 million allocated for the Learn to Swim program was cut. Although earlier this year, funds for some parks programs were restored and Mayor Adams found money to re-open the city’s libraries on Sundays, the budget never came up with the $5.2 needed to get the swimming program on track.

According to the New York City Council, 68 percent of NYC residents lack access to pools, many public school pools remain inactive, and one out of four New York City children remain unable to swim. Asphalt Green believes its River East Elementary programming can serve as a blueprint for pools at other schools in NYC, and help rapidly expand access to swim instruction.

Attending the ceremony were officials from Asphalt Green, NYC Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles Ramos, City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, as well as several Olympic and World Championship medalists, including Anthony Ervin, the president of the Stand By Me Swimming Foundation, as well as Dylan Porges, a former member of the Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (AGUA) team.

“I am enormously proud of the ongoing expansion of the Wave Makers initiative that I launched with the Gray Foundation, Asphalt Green, and Council Member Shekar Krishnan,” said Council Member Julie Menin. “I look forward to the expansion of this program and its continued success.”

The pool at River East Elementary School was decommissioned in 2015 after an earthquake in New Jersey, said David Ludwig, the senior director of Asphalt Green’s community programs.

“[The earthquake] resulted in a crack in the foundation of the pool, and the pool has been closed since then,” Ludwig said.

“It’s larger than a lot of pools that are inside public school buildings, so it’s got six lanes, 25 yards. It’s got really spacious locker rooms and a nice pool deck. It even has some little bit of stadium seating. So it’s just kind of a great, upgraded spot.”

In the fall of 2023, Asphalt Green conducted a feasibility study to determine what would be needed to rehabilitate the facility, which was presented to the School Construction Authority. Eventually, the Division of School Facilities was able to bring the pool back online.

In addition to Wave Makers, Asphalt Green plans to offer after-school aquatics programming at River East to allow kids to be able to pursue competitive swimming through the AGUA Swim Team (sponsored in part by the Stand By Me Swimming Foundation).

“We are so excited to bring Wave Makers and our other celebrated aquatics programming to River East,” said Asphalt Green CEO Jordan Brackett.

“Every child deserves free and equitable access to swim instruction, which can not only save lives, but transform them. We hope the partnerships we have forged to bring this pool back online serve as inspiration for similar projects across the five boroughs.”