It's a shame the pool needs to close. It's a great pool, but all pools cost a fortune to operate & maintain.

Wait a second...are you serious? After all the tuition hikes you clowns have done you can't seem to afford to keep this pool open? Thats bogus. I used to work for the college and they paid me peanuts. I think an organization that pays its employees so poorly could stand to afford such a pool. if not maybe the school president shouldn't make so much money. Maybe other leaders at the college could stand a pay cut from thier already outrageously high salaries+benefits!

My initial reactions is that it will cost more to tear down the bldg and pool than to fix the liner.

I agree that this should have been mentioned at the last South High School alumni get together. They had thousands of people there.

Not all buildings the college has make money. Perhaps they should start with the administration bldg. at SLCC Redwood Road. Yes there are classes there, but I doubt that SLCC makes money at each and every bldg. they own. Since it is a State School, we all own them.

If they can't figure out how to make money on the pool, perhaps they should have someone else that makes money on pools figure out how.

Pool management is a professional business. Has the SLCC issued a debit sheet? Have they then put down how many people are served? Cost per person? Has it been compared to other pools? From the sounds of it the pool is in use a great deal. The loss of revenue is probably from leaks and heating. Heating will continue to go up, unless you renovate into a better style of pool. Leaks are stopped through work.

As a citizen who likes to think that people are encouraged to swim and be active, shutting down a pool is serious business. The actual loss of revenue on an annual basis is normal for an old pool.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the college wants the land for something else... and that fact has not been forthcoming. And, won't, until the pool is dry and the users scattered.

What a shame.

I think it's a great opportunity for local business leaders to step up and promote Utah fitness by donating to the pool...or perhaps SLCC could sell advertising space to businesses. There might be more wiggle-room for creativity here than meets the eye.

It's amazing to know that SLCC thinks that epoxy and cement is a "temporary" fix.

Maybe they should take the Community out of the name of the college, just like they've taken the community out of the process.

They wasted $17,000 of taxpayer money just to close the pool six months later. Go SLCC!

Honestly this proves why SLCC isn't fit to be accredited as a educational institution (I should know. I attended classes there). With a little advertising, the school could turn the pool into a great financial asset.

I'm sure the alumni association would have been able to help figure out ways to keep the pool open.

Sounds like SLCC President Cynthia Bioteau and her staff think they know it all. Making decisions in a relative vacuum sometimes denotes insecurity or inability. I hope that isn't the case.

There isn't much detail in the article about how many people use the pool, how much is charged, what the cost of renovations would be.....etc. to begin to evaluate anything. Maybe Pres. Bioteau doesn't want to disclose that.

Hey Ms. SLC GAL

slow down a second. I have spent enough time at SLCC to earn about 117 credits. Yes 117 and lets not go into why I have so many. And I want you to know that yes there are some joke classes there but there were some pretty tough classes there that prove to me that is it worthy of being an accredited educcational instituion. Classes like Stats, Calc, Cellular Biology. If you can honestly say you have done this classes then great you know how hard some classes at the college can be. If you haven't and have done the easy classes " History, english art" then maybe for you the college wasn't worthy of accreditation.

You want to know of a school that doesn't deserve Accreditation how about USU. I'm currently enrolled at USU and that is all I do over than yardwork and church related stuffright now. let's see I finished MIS 2100 is 4 days. Yes 4 days. Operational Management in 2 1/2 weeks and Marketing in 8 days. There's something wrong when you can finish college classes that fast. Oh yeah did I meantion my next class has all TAKE HOME TESTS?

It is a shame that SLCC has chosen to close the pool. It's a great asset to South Salt Lake and the entire Northern Valley.

Why would they close a $1 million+ facility for "financial reasons" when they could let the public know about how affordable a gym membership to SLCC gyms is ($100 a year) and get the market to pay for operating costs. By the way, SLCC Gyms are a much better deal than Gold's or 24hr fitness ($30+ a month on the cheap end).

Bioteau and Co. are doing a disservice to the community by closing down this facility. Why is she president if she's making such bone-head decisions?

It is a sad state of affairs when the president of an orginization stoops to lieing to support thier position. This is however what is taking place reguarding the closure of the SCC pool!

The $170,000 annual opperating cost is actually under $40,000, because those people will not be terminated but only transfered to another department.

The recent$17,000 repair to the Dive tank is a total and complete repair!

And as for President Katie B. her prevaications are myriad but for now I will limit my comments to those concerning the Pool.

There was not "A complete review and attemptto keep the pool open" if so why is this the first public statment of any kind. And it was not even instigated by the school!

If Katie B. truly takes her responsibility as "Guardian of Fiscal Resources" seriously then why is it alright to spend $120,000 on a flower garden in front of her office window to beautify her point of view and not $40,000 a year to serve the community!

In closing I would like to say that long after this carpetbagger is gone we will have to live with the aftermath of these poor decisions.

Actually, it is my observation that President Bioteau is one of the most supportive and community-oriented leaders the college has ever had. Because of her track record on other matters, I have to give her and her staff the benefit of the doubt on this decision and believe that they have explored all of the options and made the best decision that they could.

Also, I was surprised to hear accusations that this decision was made without the knowledge of the South High Alumni Association, because the communication that we received from President Bioteau when this was announced to the college community indicated that they had worked with the South High Alumni Association as they were looking for a solution that would save the pool. I teach most of my classes at South City Campus, and the pool is usually not very busy - and they do not charge very much to use it all. It's no surprise to me that the pool's operating costs are greater than what it takes in.

russ - The college's hopes and plans for the South City Campus are no secret. For a few years now, the college's number one priority building request to the legislature has been funding for the building of a new sorely needed Digital Media Arts building that would house all of the college's arts programs. This building would be built to the east of the existing building. It is desperately needed. Currently, SLCC's arts programs are split between the South City Campus and the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, with students often having to commute between the two campuses to be able to take all of the classes they need for their programs.

These programs also are in dire need of better facilities. Currently, for example, ear training classes for music majors are being taught in a converted gymnasium with horrible acoustics. Some facilities needed for educational programs do not even exist yet. So far, despite the undeniable need, funding for this building (either from a public source or from a private source - donations) has not been available. I personally believe that if the building could be funded, the South City Campus would be a much more vital and financially viable location.

It is sad to hear of the expected closure of the South City Pool. I haven't swum in the pool for many years but have some great memories of swimming there with church groups and with my family on Monday evenings during the 60s and 70s. Is there any viable solution which would keep the pool open?

Say what you want about the current administration, but I had an absolutely wonderful educational experience at SLCC. I obtained my associates degree there in 2003 and moved on to the U to complete my bachelors. Most of the time I was at the U, I was wishing SLCC had offered a 4-year program.

It is a shame but it is funny that SLC gal said that the can't could themselves as an accredited educational institution because they are getting rid of a pool for classes. I guess that every gymnasium and rec center are credited institutions are then and maybe my neighbor who has a pool. I hope that a a solution can happen because if they need the room there is plenty at Jordan.

There was no announcement at the big South High Alum meeting on May 31st. I was there. (No, I didn't go to South High).

Two, there are several different ways to waterproof a swimming pool.

Since the corner of State and 17th South is empty,
perhaps they just want to use the space for something else. If you look at the 2003 arial photos, and compare to the new ones..you see the bldg. on State St. was torn down the last 5 years.

It is sad that the Deseret News and President Bioteau are both being fed bad information.
The Dive Tank was fixed for $17,000. Not a "temporary fix". It was fixed and does not need a $170,000 liner. With the improvments that have been made over the years the pools are in better shape than when SLCC took them over.

arc - Yes, there used to be a building right on the corner of 17th South and State Street. Now that space is covered with a lawn and an electronic billboard (which displays the upcoming productions in the Grand Theatre). That has nothing to do with the pool or with any future plans to build at South City Campus.

Does working with the South High Alumni Association require that an announcement be made at the big alum meeting? My guess is that Alumni Association leaders were involved in the process. I heard rumblings of this as far back as early April. My own experience in dealing with President Bioteau leads me to believe that every option was explored. This was not a hasty decision.

OLD MAN, and Hold On A Sec - chilllll!!!!!!!! THe remark I made was a joke gone horribly awry. It seemed smart at the time......... don't forget I AM a former Bruin.

And Hold On A Sec.... this is about a pool - not college experiences........

Give President a break - no way..

South High Alumni leadership was contacted. (yes I checked). They provided a 2 page report, showing that removing the pool would cost $1,000,000 and that the pool was worth $6,000,000 to replace. They thought that closing it was a big financial mistake, a blow to the community and also a emotional blow to decades of former SH Cubs.

Two weeks after the big meeting a month ago, The SHAA was asked if THEY would fund keeping the pool open. Since the SHAA provides scholarships for students to attend SLCC, they felt like they couldn't take money from scholarship money to fund something that SLCC should do in the 1st place.

Someone is using contacting the former South High alum association, to defend a mistake. How about getting your facts straight.

Well, with this story breaking, either the Utah Board of Regents will help or get mad at SLCC, or perhaps the SLC Mayors Office will figure away to avoid all this going in the landfill, or the State Legislature will provide funding.

The SLCC needs room for programs, etc. But is taking the pool out the way to go?

Did a professional pool evaluation company do the study of the pool Its operation? Budget, etc. I know that there are professionals who renovate and reprogram pools for a living. Were they contacted?

Of did the academic leaders "decide" and then build the case for their "enlightened decision to save valuable money"?

I would hope that the SLCC would get both the buildings AND keep the wellness pool open and healthy and full. Can't we have both: education and wellness? Why one vs. the other?

Lack of leadership.

If SLCC is dying for room I have a very simple solution. SHUT DOWN THE STUPID INTERIOR DESIGN AND FASHION PROGRAM. You can use all the space they waste with thier stupid program.

Don't get me wrong. I like SLCC. I just think they are making a big mistake. If the college president made this decision with a lot of thought, I wonder what other bad decisions she is making. I hope there aren't any others.

To be true to form, I hope that the school will look into other areas of the college that are losing money. Make sure that you are consistent because if you were to look into some other programs run by the school, you would find many areas to cut back and save money. This is a "community college" where the community is supposed to be welcome to. This will take a great community connection away from the community. Sad.