BOISE, ID., June 22/PRNewswire/ – Residents of the greater Boise area will soon have more
opportunities to participate in swimming lesson and competitive swim programming. The Greater
Boise Aquatic Center (https://www.gbacswim.com) will provide a facility for a robust learn-to-swim
program, competitive club swimming, high school swim teams, water polo, masters swimming, and
community lap swim, all of which will be geared towards promoting water safety. The facility is being
constructed in coordination with Idaho Competitive Aquatics (“ICA”), the Greater Boise Aquatics
Foundation (“GBAF”), and The Greater Boise Auditorium District (“The District”) and is planned for
location at Federal Way & Findley Avenue in Southeast Boise. The District has approved up to $5
million for the project to cover the cost of land and an enclosure. The balance of the project will be
funded by ICA and GBAF.
Boise enjoys abundant access to rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals, but the area does not have
adequate pool space to teach fundamental water safety and skills. No child is ever water safe. A
primary goal of the new aquatics center is to make children SAFER in, on, and around water.
Did you know?
- Drowning is the second leading cause of death among young children.
- 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming
ability. - Research shows 64% of African American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian
children have little-to-no swimming ability. - 10 people drown each day in the United States.
- Formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.
Boise currently lags behind recommended water space and facility standards established by the
National Recreation and Park Association. ICA, GBAF, and The District strive to provide a facility
that will not only help fill the void for much-needed water space, it will also provide opportunities for
the community to become safer around water and participate in life-long sports. The facility aims to
conduct several competitive events throughout the year that are projected to provide millions of
dollars of economic impact to the Greater Boise Area.
The aquatic center will be a new state-of-the-art facility and will feature both technology and
equipment used recently at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. The aquatics center has been
designed and developed to meet the growing needs of the Treasure Valley’s aquatics community.
The overall objective of building GBAC is to construct a comprehensive aquatic facility that will allow
individuals of all ages and abilities to participate in a variety of aquatic programming year-round in
the Treasure Valley.
If you have questions or are interested in donation or naming opportunities, please contact us at
info@gbacswim.com.