The Plunge
Encyclopedia
The Richmond Municipal Natatorium, affectionately known as The Plunge, is a historic swim center in the Point Richmond neighborhood of Richmond, California
. It was closed in August 2001 for seismic retrofitting and reopened in August 2010 .
in San Francisco. Richmond's population was about 20,000 then, grew to over 200,000 during the "war years" and is now about 80,000.
Over the years, the masonry building deteriorated, the hollow-clay-tile walls cracking after 76 years of deferred maintenance. Richmond Friends of Recreation (RFR) was organized in 1979 as a non-profit organization with the purpose of supporting community recreation programs, spearheaded a major rehabilitation of the pool equipment and repainting of the structure. The Plunge was further damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
. City voters rejected a bond measure to reinforce it in 1997. In November 1997, the City Council realized they did not have the funds to retrofit the building and determined they had no option but to close the Plunge permanently. However, even though it was unsafe, people were allowed to swim in it until August 2001, although they had to pass "Swim at your own risk" signs.
When the Plunge was slated for demolition, residents protested and RFR stepped in to work with the City in a unique Public/Private Partnership to raise the necessary funds to retrofit, upgrade and reopen the Plunge. The renovation planning process was complicated by the fact that the Plunge is located in the Point Richmond Historic District
, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
. This meant that officials had to ensure the renovation would not damage the site's historic value.
Architect Todd Jersey of Todd Jersey Architecture in Berkeley has donated hundreds of hours to the Plunge restoration project, with the hopes of making the Plunge the most environmentally friendly public pool in the country. Jersey is raising a portion of the roof to add windows, improving ventilation and light. Overall, the building will have more than 170 windows, 132 of which will be able to open and close.
The first phase of reconstruction began in August 2008.
The Plunge is accessible from Interstate 580
and AC Transit
line 72M Macdonald.
----
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. It was closed in August 2001 for seismic retrofitting and reopened in August 2010 .
History
Promoted by the citizens of Richmond, The Plunge was created through a bond issue in 1926.. At that time, it was a "state of the art" two-story building with an indoor warm water swimming pool double the size of an Olympic pool, a fountain, observation balconies, and an open truss ceiling reminiscent of the Sutro BathsSutro Baths
The Sutro Baths were a large, privately owned swimming pool complex in San Francisco, California, built in the late 19th century. The building housing the baths burned down in 1966 and was abandoned. The ruins may still be visited.- History :...
in San Francisco. Richmond's population was about 20,000 then, grew to over 200,000 during the "war years" and is now about 80,000.
Over the years, the masonry building deteriorated, the hollow-clay-tile walls cracking after 76 years of deferred maintenance. Richmond Friends of Recreation (RFR) was organized in 1979 as a non-profit organization with the purpose of supporting community recreation programs, spearheaded a major rehabilitation of the pool equipment and repainting of the structure. The Plunge was further damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
. City voters rejected a bond measure to reinforce it in 1997. In November 1997, the City Council realized they did not have the funds to retrofit the building and determined they had no option but to close the Plunge permanently. However, even though it was unsafe, people were allowed to swim in it until August 2001, although they had to pass "Swim at your own risk" signs.
When the Plunge was slated for demolition, residents protested and RFR stepped in to work with the City in a unique Public/Private Partnership to raise the necessary funds to retrofit, upgrade and reopen the Plunge. The renovation planning process was complicated by the fact that the Plunge is located in the Point Richmond Historic District
Point Richmond Historic District
The Point Richmond Historic District is the downtown area of Point Richmond in Richmond, California and is on the National Register of Historic Places .-History:...
, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. This meant that officials had to ensure the renovation would not damage the site's historic value.
Restoration
Richmond Friends of Recreation established a "Save the Richmond Plunge Trust" under its tax-exempt status and has raised over $154,000 in cash and in excess of $40,000 in kind donations from local business owners. It has committed to an ambitious campaign of appeals to corporations, foundations, and individuals and a calendar of community events to recruit workers and raise funds.Architect Todd Jersey of Todd Jersey Architecture in Berkeley has donated hundreds of hours to the Plunge restoration project, with the hopes of making the Plunge the most environmentally friendly public pool in the country. Jersey is raising a portion of the roof to add windows, improving ventilation and light. Overall, the building will have more than 170 windows, 132 of which will be able to open and close.
The first phase of reconstruction began in August 2008.
The Plunge is accessible from Interstate 580
Interstate 580
Interstate 580 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 80:*Interstate 580 , a connector in the San Francisco Bay Area to Interstate 5...
and AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
line 72M Macdonald.
External links
----