EXCITING TIMES AT THE Y

Splish Splash We’re Having a Bash!

YMCA of Greater Nashua is Pleased to Announce Merrimack Pool Grand Re-Opening Festivities

Community Invited to Enjoy First Swim; Enjoy Membership Promotions and Raffles!

After six months of renovations, the Y is eager to unveil the newly renovated swimming pool at the Merrimack Y branch, 6 Henry Clay Drive in Merrimack. A family pool party is scheduled for Friday, December 1 from 6:00 to 8:00pm, followed by lap and recreational swim from 8:00 to 9:30pm. The public is invited and there is no fee to participate. Tell us you’re coming!

On Saturday, December 2, the community is invited to the Community Open House from 10:00am to 2:00pm, celebrating the Merrimack Y’s 25 year anniversary. There will be a ribbon cutting for the new swimming pool at 10:30a.m., featuring raffles, prizes, games, snacks, and fun for all. Tell us you’re coming!

Our aquatics staff is planning some sample classes and swim evaluations in early December, before our Term C begins on January 2. This will be a good way for parents to plan for enrollment for their children with our first full session after the pool reopening.

We wanted to remind everyone that registration for Session B’s Y member programming began this week and classes are filling up fast, especially as it pertains to swim lessons and water-related exercise programs.  We urge all those desiring to enroll in swim lessons and other water-related exercise programming to sign up at the Nashua Y for Session B (November 6 – December 23) instruction.

To read the full details of the full $2 million renovation project click here.

Thanks for sharing in our excitement as we make the Y more member friendly!

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 15, 2017: It’s been a very productive spring and summer at the Merrimack Y!

Our men’s, women’s and family locker rooms are redesigned. The new counters and sinks are in. New tile on the floor and part of the walls have been placed. New lighting is in. The walls are freshly painted. Our contractors still need to grout the family changing rooms and finalize details in the men’s and women’s bathrooms. We are very excited for you to see the new bathroom areas of the locker rooms! At this point, bearing no unforeseen contractor delays, we will be opening these rooms during the last week of September.

Additionally, we are under construction with updated bathrooms in our School’s Out room. They will be open for our students beginning September 15.

The largest part of the project, our upgraded swimming pool, is moving along nicely! We anticipate a November opening. At which time you will be invited to our huge ribbon cutting and pool party to commemorate this milestone for our YMCA. Details will follow when we are closer to finishing the project.

Also, if you’ve visited the Merrimack Y, you must have noticed our newly renovated entrance way, which ties in with our redesigned Welcome Center.

Thank you for your patience during the spring and summer. Our goal is to create a better member experience for you and your family.

Photos of the renovation in Early September 2017.

Starting this May we will begin to move forward with a $2 million renovation project for the Merrimack Y. We are so excited to start this project and can’t wait until we can serve you better with beautiful new facilities.

Although the pool along with the shower and bathroom areas of the men’s and women’s locker room will close during the renovation the Merrimack YMCA will remain open during all renovation phases.

No major renovations to the lower level have been performed since the building was purchased in the mid 1990s. Overall, the building is 31-years-old. This reinvestment in facilities is important. Through solicited a lot of member feedback over the years, and the plan below reflects facility changes that will make the building work better for our members, for our programs, and for our growth.

Here is What is Planned

Men’s and Women’s Shower and Bathroom Areas (Locker Room) – Having already renovated the dry areas of the Men’s and Women’s locker room in the last renovation, the current renovation will consist of a complete overhaul of the shower and bathroom facilities in both the men’s and women’s locker room. The newly renovated women’s locker room will also now have a more private entrance to the pool area.

New Family Locker Room –  The space that is between the men’s and women’s locker room which currently has seating, vending machine, etc will be turned into a family locker room with individual changing areas. This space will be similar to our Nashua branch with six private rooms, each consisting of shower space, a toilet and changing area. The common area in this new space will have lockers, sinks, suit spinners and counter space. By adding the new Family Locker Room, we will be able to connect all three locker rooms to the pool to provide a more private and comfortable entrance onto the pool deck.

Complete Renovation of the Pool Area – The pool will completely close and the renovation will begin with removal of the existing deck and hot tub. We’ll be adding a new filtration and UV disinfect system to more effectively manage water quality and make our pool a healthier experience for our swimmers. A co-ed steam and sauna will be added to the pool deck, new tile, paint, and the inclusion of a new water play element. Additionally, the depth of the pool will be reduced to 3 feet in one third of the pool to allow for better swim instruction for children.

Due to the Merrimack YMCA pool project all swim lessons in Sessions E and F will be held at the Nashua Y. We have adjusted our schedule and increased our staff at the Nashua YMCA pool to accommodate more swim lesson and water exercise classes.

Additional Highlights – The project will also consist of an electrical upgrade, a new fieldhouse roof, a renovated entranceway, additional natural light, and new paint.

Timing of the Project

The summer is our slowest time of year and we want to have everything operational for you to enjoy next fall when membership attendance in the Merrimack YMCA picks back up after summer vacations, the start of school and cooler temperatures begin. We’ll begin on May 1, with the locker room phase and the pool upgrade will begin in early June.

Estimated Start Dates for Each Phase

Electrical Upgrade: April 1
Men’s and Women’s Shower and Bathroom Areas (Locker Room): May 8
(Showers and restrooms in the men’s and women’s locker rooms will close on May 15. The existing family locker rooms will be available for showering and restroom use throughout the length of the renovation)
Family Locker Room: May 1
Pool: June 1
(Pool will be closed starting June 1. We have adjusted our schedule and increased our staff at the Nashua YMCA pool to accommodate more swim lesson and water exercise classes.
Fieldhouse Roof: August
Renovated Entranceway: Summer

Overall Affect of the Project

These improvements will completely transform the Merrimack branch into a beautiful facility for our staff, members and the community; but it will not be easy. Our pool and primary shower areas will be closed for the summer or a good portion of it, but we will have options available for our members.