WILLIAMSTOWN -- A local nonprofit has signed an option to purchase the historic Sand Springs Pool.
Sand Springs Recreational Center has until March 15, 2013 to purchase the property from Redstone Properties, said Janette Kessler Dudley, president of the center's board, on Monday.
The organization hopes to start a capital campaign in early May to raise $725,000 toward the purchase of the facility, as well as for covering campaign expenses, the cost of some improvements to the facility and the establishment of operating and maintenance reserve funds, she said.
"I'm really excited we have completed this important step, which will allow us to launch our fundraising campaign. We know how much we need to raise and that the property can't be sold out from under us during the campaign," she said.
The capital campaign, which Sand Springs Recreational Center hopes to complete by March 2013, will include public fundraising events, house parties, approaching local businesses for donations and sending out mailings, she said.
Sand Springs Pool, which is currently called The Springs Pool, Spa and Fitness, has been for sale since spring 2008 and didn't open for the 2011 summer season. The pool and spa date back to 1813, when the property first became a resort made famous by the Sand Spring water, which rises to the surface at an average temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year.
Sand Springs Pool, which is
Since 2003, the property has been owned by Amy and Michael Patten under Wampanaug Springs Inc.
Michael Patten also owns Redstone Properties.
During the Pattens' ownership of the property, the facility was renovated and updated.
Pete Scerbo, who helped with transacting the option to purchase for Redstone Properties, said that Redstone Properties will open The Springs Pool, Spa and Fitness for a period of time during this summer, but he doesn't know when that will be.
Dudley said Sand Springs Recreational Center's vision for the facility is to be a community gathering place that is more accessible to the general public than it has been in the past, with low membership fees and scholarships for children to learn how to swim.
"We envision a number of improvements to the facility to make it a place where people want to stay and linger with more common space inside and better café offerings," she said.
In addition, the organization plans to establishing the Carl and Nancy Samuelson Swim Academy, which is being named in honor of Carl Samuelson, who was head swim coach at Williams College from 1966 to 1999, and his wife, she said.
Sand Springs Recreational Center hopes to have the pool open to the public in June 2013 and would like the facility to be self-sustaining, Dudley said.
"What we're hoping for is a number of different sources of revenue -- and not just membership and daily user fees. We're hoping to generate revenue from potential tenants of the facility and food service to renting out the facility to businesses and individuals for gatherings," she said.
To reach Meghan Foley, email mfoley@thetranscript.com.
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