Residents Cheer Long Awaited Proposal for Indoor/Outdoor Pool Complex

When will the Scarsdale Pool be replaced? And with what?

We’re finally getting to the finish line of years of discussion about what will replace the aging Scarsdale Pool Complex that has outlived its useful life. At a long-anticipated presentation on the future of the Scarsdale Pool on Wednesday October 29, 2025, the Board of Trustees presented a schematic design for an indoor/outdoor pool complex along with the associated costs to build it and anticipated membership fees to join it.

The board presented several options – and the good news is that they will make a decision in January 2026, with plans to keep the current pool open for the summer of 2026. Construction on the new complex would begin when the pool closes in September 2026 and the outdoor pool would re-open for the summer of 2028.

Opening the meeting, Deputy Mayor Gruenberg explained, “In January 2025, after extensive input and no clear community consensus between pursuing an outdoor-only or indoor/outdoor facility, the Board chose to preserve flexibility by advancing plans for an indoor/outdoor complex. This approach allowed us to gain a clear and realistic understanding of what such a facility could offer—and what it would cost to construct and operate.”

She previewed the presentation which provides:

-Cost estimates for refurbishing and rebuilding the existing pool
-The complete schematic design plans
-Construction and operational cost analyses for both an indoor/outdoor and outdoor-only complex
-The tax impact for the construction of an indoor/outdoor facility as well as an outdoor-only facility.

Click here to see the presentation:

Gruenberg explained “We are not advocating for a specific path forward. Our role is not to lobby for any particular outcome but to present a clear, viable path forward and invite community feedback and direction on how to proceed.”

She added, “We recognize that the projected costs are substantial and while there will be opportunities for value engineering later in the process, the estimates presented tonight reflect what is realistic today in both cost and value. There is no perfect plan that everyone will be satisfied with but with these plans we have tried to thread the needle to meet the wants and needs expressed by residents.”

Larry Medvinsky, Chair of the Pool Redevelopment Advisory Committee and Tony East, Vice Chair, presented three options to the community:

-An indoor/outdoor pool complex with three outdoor pools, sited in place of the current outdoor pools along with a natatorium with an indoor pool with large glass doors that can be closed in the winter and open in the summer. The complex includes community space, a year-round bathhouse, another seasonal bathhouse and the concession (food) stand. ($70.4mm)

-A new complex with outdoor pools only. ($47.5mm)

-Removing and replacing the current pool complex and bringing it up to code. ($36mm)

According to Trustee Jeremy Wise, if the community decided to leave the current pool in place, we risk closure of the facility altogether as current mechanicals cannot be replaced and it is not up to code.

But more on the plans:

The indoor/outdoor plan offers even more thana place to swim. The large natatorium which would house the indoor pools would include community meeting rooms, a balcony above the pool for viewers and large retractable glass doors to give the site and indoor-outdoor feel.

The overall pool complex would include 16 lap lanes, 6 indoor lanes and 10 outdoor lanes. There will be indoor and outdoor diving areas, with 5 diving boards in total. The children’s area will include a splash pad, a zero entry wading pool and an intermediate pool. Basketball and volleyball courts could be used year-round. The complex would have two entrances – a separate one for the recreation camp. The concession area would be expanded.

There are two sets of locker rooms. The year-round locker rooms include men’s, women’s and individual family locker rooms. Separate seasonal locker rooms have men’s, women’s and family locker rooms as well as locker rooms for girls and boys.

In order to preserve the trees and the view, the complex is sited so that upon entering the complex, the site line includes the outdoor pools and the golf club beyond that. Every effort will be made to preserve the trees and the park like feel.

At What Cost?

The indoor/outdoor complex is an ambitious project, with a price tag of $70mm. Trustees provided an estimate of the cost per household for a home with an assessed value of $1.6 mm which you can see here. On average, for a homeowner with an assessed value of $1.6mm, would see tax increases as outlined in the chart below:

Mayor Arest said that the total tab could potentially be reduced by the use of reserve funds or with contributions from the community.

Another option is to build a new outdoor pool complex at a cost of $47 million. For this option the adult pool would be larger to accommodate both diving, lap swimming and leisure. The average tax increase over 26 years is outlined below.

Last, an estimate was provided to remove the existing pools, locker rooms and buildings and replace as is, at a cost of $35mm. Assuming, this would be half the tax impact of the indoor/outdoor option, the cost would be about $375 per year over 30 years.

What are the fees?

In addition to the tax implications, trustees offered five scenarios for membership fees which you can see below. They vary based on assumptions of membership numbers, revenue from non-resident permits and contributions to an Enterprise Fund for repairs.

Estimates show that a summer family membership would be $760 and an annual family membership would be $2,200. Please see the cost estimates below:

Reaction from the attendees in the room and those online was enthusiastic, some expressing great excitement at the prospect of this major new community asset. Commenters had questions, suggestions for improving the plans and kudos for the Board.

Marian Green said, “I am sure if we move forward with the major plan we will have a spectacular facility. I have a pool but my family joins the public pool.”

Claudine Jessel said, “We enjoyed the pool for many years.” She encouraged the board to organize tours so that residents could see the aging complex and recognize the need for the new project.

Elaine Katz asked if the Village had considered where Scarsdale residents might swim during the summer of 2027 when the pool will be closed.

Harris Sokoloff said, “I thought the committees did a great job listening to the community.” Discussing non-resident permits he said, “The out of towners want to use the pool – please let them in – there is plenty of capacity.”

Myra Saul said, “People who haven’t moved here yet should be considered. Those people may want the more expensive option. The price of houses are getting higher and higher. These people will want a new pool.”

Joan Ross Sorkin said, “I am in favor of the indoor/outdoor combination.” She asked, “Will the locker rooms be nicer? Hair dryers? Doors? I don’t want to go bare bones on that.”

Barbara Carleton said, “I am happy that something is going to happen. The indoor facility will be great for the rec camp. The pool will be nice for kids swimming on swim teams.”

A woman from Thies Court discussed the timing. She said, “Inflation is real – in four years costs are rising. Make a decision and a timeline and get the show on the road.” She added, “The pool is the happiest place for my family.”

Anne Hintermeister asked if the interest on the bond was included in the estimated tax increases and was told that it was included.

Elaine Weir called the plan “very impressive” and said, “I think the indoor/outdoor pool is a good idea. Having a nice facility will increase property values and make Scarsdale more attractive.”

Jean Mary Buongiorno asked if the indoor pool would be big enough to handle the kids at rec camp on a rainy day? The response was yes.

Josh Glantz offered kudos on the indoor/outdoor option. He asked what happens during thunder and lightning and was told that all pools need to close in the event of lightning.

Bob Berg, a frequent critic of the board, who now lives in Greenwich said, “It was always a deficiency that Scarsdale did not have an indoor pool. This is a terrific plan. It is magnificent. It captures what you need here. It will bring the community together. The cost is high but it is well worth it. It is fabulous and I am proud to support it.”

Former Village Trustees Kay Eisenman gave a pitch for a dedicated space for seniors upstairs in the natatorium. She said, “Parking has become difficult at the Girl Scout House.”

Chip Rich said, “this is really exciting. I appreciate all the effort that has gone into this. I am an early morning lap swimmer and was initially disappointed that there was no indoor pool. I think the design is thoughtful and maintains the bucolic view. I hope the design looks like the library and not the building at the Five Corners.”

Robert Schwartz said, “We are a new family to Scarsdale with four young kids. This is a no brainer for the community. In terms of usage, a year-round facility, differentiates Scarsdale as a Village that provides tremendous value. Make it as soon as possible!”

Chelsea Weng said, “We use the pool and compete on the teams. There were 110 kids on the Scarsdale town team last summer. I support the year-round facility for residents only.”

Rachana Singh complimented the Board on the presentation. She said, “I liked the multiple scenarios. I wish the school district gave us multiple scenarios. Where did you come up with $1.6 mm as median assessed value? The School Board is using $1.3 mm.”

However one frequent observer of Village business was against the proposal and claimed she spoke for the “silent majority” of current pool members. Susan Levine of Ardmore Road came to the mic twice and said, “I am here to represent the 1,200 families who join the pool – the other 4,000 will never join the pool. Renovate the complex, take it away and put it back as is. Make the changes that will keep us up to code. We should not be asked to pay these taxes for 20 years to improve the project. It will save us millions. The silent majority should not have to pay for what the vocal minority wants.”

Next Steps:

The Board has scheduled a series of meetings with neighborhood associations and community members to share the plans and garner feedback. You are encouraged to attend, review the plans and provide feedback to the board.

Here’s the schedule:

Neighborhood Association Feedback Sessions

11/5/2025 at 7pm in Rutherford Hall, Village Hall
Old Scarsdale Neighborhood Association (OSNA), West Quaker Ridge, Murray Hill/ Mid Heathcote

11/17/2025 at 8pm in Rutherford Hall, Village Hall
Greenacres, Sherbrooke Park, Overhill, East Heathcote, Fox Meadow

12/1/2025 at 7pm in Rutherford Hall, Village Hall
Crane Berkley, Drake Edgewood, Arthur Manor

12/11/2025 at 7pm in Rutherford Hall, Village Hall
Colonial Acres. Quaker Ridge, Scarsdale Meadows

Morning Public Feedback Sessions

11/14 at 11:30am Scarsdale Senior Council, Scarsdale Public Library
11/21 at 9:30am in the Scott Room, Scarsdale Public Library

With only a few weeks remaining until the end of the year, the Board will need to move quickly to be ready to break ground on whatever plan is chosen in September 2026. Review the plans nowReview the plans now and let the trustees know what you think by emailing [email protected] or attending on of the upcoming sessions.

Pool Redevelopment Advisory Committee

Larry Medvinsky, Chair
Tony East, Vice Chair
Lynn Brooks Avni
Diane Greenwald
Casey Klurfeld
Mark Mathias
Anne Moretti
Aubrey Phillibert
Andrew Sereysky
Carol Silverman
Anita Singhal