Tech pool scheduled to close in March

New Mexico Tech has announced it will permanently shut down the NMT Swim Center in March.

In an email sent to the NMT community on Friday, Vice President of Student Affairs David Greene said the closure was due to significant infrastructure challenges and prohibitive repair costs exceeding $3 million.

“We recognize that this facility has been more than a pool, it has been a space for wellness, connection, learning and community for many years. We know this news may be difficult, and we want to acknowledge the very real sense of loss that can accompany change like this.” Greene said.

Interim NMT President Michael Jackson said it’s too soon to say what the solution could be but the university is looking at ways to collaborate with the city. NMT staff are meeting with Socorro Mayor Ravi Bhasker in the next week, he said.

Bhasker confirmed he is meeting with New Mexico Tech representatives on Feb. 12 to discuss potentially making the city pool year around.

The New Mexico Tech Wellness Center was first introduced as a future project last May during a public Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) city meeting. The multi-level, 60,000-square-foot facility would feature a full-sized indoor swimming pool, indoor track, weight room, basketball arena and spaces for esports, yoga, weights and other activities and would have an estimated total project cost around $46 million.

At that time Mayor Bhasker said he supported the project and suggested a joint bond issue with the county and schools. However he said he wanted to make sure there was a clear benefit to the city’s citizens.

Jackson said if the pool stays part of the Wellness Center, it becomes a three-phase project. But if for example, NMT considers a new pool separately, the Wellness Center drops to two phases, which is more manageable for seeking state funding, grants, and local support, he said.

“Because it’s the legislative session, there’s a lot of different options,” Jackson said.

In the email Greene said in partnership with the city of Socorro, New Mexico Tech is pursuing a plan to transition aquatic programming to a year-round regional facility by enclosing the existing municipal pool.

“To fund this vision, NMT has submitted an $800,000 Capital Outlay request during the current Legislative Session. This approach allows us to preserve access to aquatic programs for students and community members while being fiscally responsible and forward-looking,” Greene said.

According to the email the transition will take place over the coming months, and no immediate changes are occurring at this time.

“Our focus right now is on planning, coordination, and advocacy-- including making the project shovel-ready-- to ensure continuity of services and a targeted transition for all who rely on aquatic access by June 2026,” Greene said.