The new eight-lane competition swimming pool is ready for action at Brainerd High School. Director of Buildings & Grounds Reid Thiesse, High School Principal Andrea Rusk, and Warrior Swimmer Thomas Ruhl all share their thoughts about the pool addition. This project was included in the Blueprint 181 Master Plan that was approved by voters via referendum on April 10, 2018.
"We engaged our community partners, coaches, and administration, and called out the need for a state-of-the-art facility that supports both swimming and diving," said Thiesse.
"The benefits of the new Brainerd High School Aquatic Center are tremendously wide. We now have the ability to host a lot of different community groups into this space," said Rusk. "This is a facility that we hope to use seven days a week, twelve months a year."
Ruhl expressed his appreciation for the fan accommodations. The spectator experience at the old pool was less than ideal. They viewed swim meets from a hallway behind a wall of glass. Now they're part of the action and will have a stronger connection with the athletes. Ruhl said, "It's going to be a massive improvement. This is definitely the best pool in central Minnesota."
Widseth provided pre-referendum services, district-wide design standards, land surveying, civil engineering, architecture, and interior design on the project.
