The long-promised and futuristic “+ POOL” will embark on a “dry” run in the East River this summer as the project makes glacial progress toward a launch — but don’t expect to take a dip in the waters anytime soon.
The test of the floating concept pool — which will be filled with filtered river water — will take place over the next few months in order to answer questions about the safety and cleanliness of the bathing area before it’s fully open sometime next year.
The pilot pool shell used for the dry run will be a smaller, rectangular version of the rec facility’s final form, which will be shaped like a cross. It will be deployed near Pier 35 and the Manhattan Bridge sometime in the next few weeks and will spend the summer undergoing weekly water quality testing.
The pilot period is coming at the demand of the Health Department, which has raised a series of concerns about the innovative pool.
One of the demands by the DOH is to install a chlorine dosing system, which is to be used in case of an emergency.
Typically, the pool would rely on the mechanical filtration of the wildlife and bacteria present in the East River, which health officials worry could make for a breeding ground for bacteria and algae.
The DOH has also raised concerns that the + POOL’s proximity to sewer pipes that discharge raw sewage into the river during storms could pose a nasty problem.
Additionally, this summer’s pilot program will aim to address the DOH’s concerns about swimmer capacity and structural stability in the East River.
“The Plus Pool proposal is an innovative concept with exciting potential, which also requires thorough evaluation to ensure environmental, public health, and operational safeguards are fully addressed before implementation to ensure New Yorkers can use the pool safely,” a spokesperson for the department said.
“The city and state health departments have established detailed protocols to guide +Pool in meeting health and safety requirements and have been reviewing submissions and working with Plus Pool as they refine their design. Outstanding questions regarding water quality, filtration reliability, and swimmer safety do remain and will require further testing to take place.”
If all goes well this summer, the 2,000 sq. ft. pool will reopen in summer 2027 for a second pilot round, but this time with an invitation to eager swimmers — though at a very limited capacity.
Only 30 swimmers at a time will be admitted to the trial book, and they will likely need to book a two-hour slot ahead of time, Plus Pool told Manhattan Community Board 3 last month.
Eventually, the pilot pool will be replaced with the full, 9,000 sq ft. plus-shaped pool, and the pilot shell will move on to other potential sites.
The + POOL shell first touched water last summer when a massive marine crane lowered it into Port Newark waters and was then towed off to a Staten Island shipyard for future design modifications.
The project — which first kicked off back in 2010 — has been delayed by a litany of bureaucratic setbacks, with former Mayor Eric Adams promising in 2024 that the pool would be floating the next summer.
The project’s managing director, Kara L. Meyer, told Gothamist that the delays were a necessary step toward making the five boroughs a “swimmable city.”
“We have advanced so far in the process, thanks to the leadership and direction of the NYS Health Department and the collaboration of the NYC Health Department,” said Meyer.
“We are very excited to work with the new health commissioner and the new administration to take river access [to] the finish line.”
