NMT pool closure date not set

Over 130 people attended the New Mexico Tech town hall at Macey Center on Thursday to address the pool closure, possible solutions and current status. 

NMT Interim President Micheal Jackson, Vice President of Administration and Finance Delilah Walsh and Vice President of Student Affairs David Greene led the presentation on the current situation with NMT’s pool. 

To avoid a long gap without any pool access, NMT has begun working on a partnership with the City of Socorro to operate the city pool year‑round, said Walsh. The city has agreed to let NMT run the facility, keep their certified pool operator and staffing support. They will also continue free summer swim and support the high‑school swim team. 

 “We’re feeling confident that we’re taking over a pretty good facility,” Walsh said.

Greene said because the NMT pool bubble has reached the end of its life and cannot safely go back up, the Tech pool must close no later than the usual fall shutdown, when the bubble would normally be assembled.

They said NMT is currently inspecting the city pool to confirm it’s structurally sound and is planning for an approximately $800,000 cover or dome—ideally with solar heating—to make year‑round use possible. 

According to Greene, over the last several years, the bubble and deck have deteriorated, with serious structural issues like leaking cast‑iron pipes and compromised ground under the deck. Contractors have now said they will not install a new bubble or semi‑permanent cover on the Tech pool, and a basic replacement of the pool and structure is estimated at about $3 million. 

They said the pool closure date has not been set. They are looking at potentially closing as early as spring break in April or running through summer and closing in the fall. The final decision depends on whether taking over the city pool can be done in a financially viable way that still keeps the university’s budget balanced.

“The bottom line is the swim center operates with a deficit. It always has, and we expect it always will, which is why we’re also having conversations with the schools in the county, because if we do move on to something else, we need help,” Walsh said.

Jackson said he suspects other municipalities are facing similar challenges with aging pool infrastructure. Walsh said Belen and Los Lunas are also closing down public pools. 

New legislation may eventually allow state money to help auxiliaries, but the bonding and approval process means any major state funding is at least a couple of years away, said Walsh. In parallel, Tech’s Wellness Center plan puts a new natatorium in phase three, which leadership believes is realistically about 10 years out.

“Could we have a campaign to raise three or $5 million just for the pool? We tried it,” Walsh said, “We had no interest from donors. This was not something they wanted to support. They wanted to support students, they wanted to support scholarships, and they wanted to support faculty and research.”

Greene confirmed if Tech took over the city pool they would follow the same hours that the NMT pool currently has. 

“We want the same access to a facility that our campus community has today, including our students, including our membership users, including any of our staff and faculty and community members. And finally, we all want the Socorro high school swim team to have a place to practice and be competitive every year,” Jackson said.

Jackson said it was important to understand that nothing has been solidified and he ultimately has to look out for NMT.

“If I sign on that dotted line, I need to make sure that it’s financially viable and I am not putting the institution at a financial risk,” Jackson said.

About a dozen in attendance spoke up during the public comment period after the presentation making suggestions, questioning funding and also complimenting the partnership. Socorro’s swim team, the Stingray’s Head Coach Cody Johnston, with the team by his side also addressed the situation.

About an hour into the townhall the Macey Center had a power outage, however those in line were allowed to make final comments.

“To see the City and New Mexico Tech and the district getting together, this might be the magic fairy that we really need to bond this community together,” Frances Deters said.