With over 500 competitive swimmers, swim lesson students and triathletes, Emmaus Aquatic Club has officially announced the opportunity for its membership to swim year-round at its existing outdoor pool – a first time in history that a Lehigh Valley team will own and control their own pool time. During a news conference July 7 at EMAC, 2546 Mill Race Road, Emmaus, details were shared on the ClearSpan structure that will cover the pool, exercise, health and wellness improvements and ways to get active with the Pave the Way brick fundraising campaign.

According to EMAC CEO Doug Cornish, “COVID threw us a curveball. Since the majority of all area swim clubs (including EMAC) rely on high school and college indoor pools during the fall, winter and spring months, we could not access these facilities due to their pandemic restrictions.” Cornish said that didn’t stop EMAC from providing services to its membership at its outdoor pool. Once restrictions were lifted during the summer of 2020 to permit swimming, EMAC provided swim team practices and lessons through November of last year by heating the pool with propane gas and renting lighting systems for evening practices.

“With the support of our members and the community, we made it through with the realization that we will always be limited in our ability to serve our members if we must rely on other pools. We knew this was a temporary solution,” he said.

With a goal to erect the ClearSpan structure by mid-September 2021, this 9,500 square feet structural steel framed double tedlar PVC wrapped skin will be engineered with a heated air circulation system and with iWave purification technology. The structure will also feature a 4-zone energy efficient gas fired infrared ceiling system, as well as an energy efficient LED lighting system.

“The beauty of the structure is the sliding walls, which expose the pool to the exterior during the warmer months,” Cornish said. The project also includes a new exterior synthetic turf exercise area with a state-of-the-art fabric shade system.

Future plans to the EMAC campus include enhancements to the tennis courts to include pickle ball, basketball and volleyball courts, a walking track with health and wellness stations around the perimeter of the campus and the renovation of a mid-1800s barn which will house offices and other amenities.

Contributions and sponsorship opportunities for the Pave the Way brick campaign can be found at www.emacbuilds.org.

EMAC) founded in 1982, is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides learn-to-swim, competitive and recreational swimming opportunities to the greater Lehigh Valley.