2 years since fire, advocates form nonprofit to explore new pool

LACONIA — It’s been two years this month since The Wellness Complex burned, destroying the community’s only swimming pool. A group of local advocates is looking to develop a plan for its replacement.

Aquatic Center for the Lakes Region is now an official nonprofit registered with the State of New Hampshire. They’re pursuing federal status, with big plans in the future: To bring a pool back to the Lakes Region for competitive and recreational swimmers, and school sports teams alike.

“It was certainly very disappointing and upsetting when [the pool] burned down,” said David Gingrich, a coach with the Lakes Region Wavemakers, a competitive, local swim team for more than 40 years, as well as former swim coach at Gilford High School. He was heavily involved with the formation of ACLR.

With the second anniversary of the fateful fire fast approaching, Gingrich, along with others interested in the cause, thought the timing was right to alert the public of their efforts.

“It’s a mixed group of people who would like to see a pool built in the area,” he said. “Essentially, we’ll be applying for [federal] nonprofit status, and starting fundraising and location [scouting]. It seemed like a good time to get information out, with it being two years this month.”

In the early morning of Nov. 27, 2024, firefighters from around the Lakes Region descended on the city, to fight a blaze in the roof of The Wellness Complex on North Main Street, directly above the pool. The conditions inside the building were dangerous and wet, and portions of the roof began to collapse on the firefighters inside. They were then ordered to leave, and began performing defensive operations.

There were no civilian injuries, and one firefighter was treated for a minor injury at the scene before returning to work.

It took first responders nearly four hours to attack the flames and secure the scene, largely given a combination of the complicated roofing structure, which included the metal roof itself, wooden elements, insulation and other materials in between.

“The roof collapsed into the pool, and the pool flooded the whole gym,” said George Kalil, former manager of The Wellness Complex, in a 2025 interview. “It created a huge mess, and a huge problem.”

The gym, along with the pool, has been closed since.

Meetings for ACLR began in June, with gatherings roughly every two weeks. According to their website, “We're a group of local residents working to replace [the pool] with a new aquatic center where everyone in the region can learn to swim, stay active, and spend time together. We're open to a site anywhere in New Hampshire's Lakes Region.”

In September, the nonprofit became aware of a Change.org petition circulating to open a pool in Laconia. Adrianna Antonopoulos, of Gilford, was an Olympic hopeful in swimming, and wanted to raise her kids on the sport, too. When the pool burned in 2024, after her kids previously participated in a Laconia summer camp, she felt its gap immensely.

She launched the petition to bring awareness to the lost opportunities for children in the Lakes Region.

“Sports teams and swimming clubs in our region have suffered greatly. Our young athletes no longer have a local venue to practice and hone their skills, leading to an increased strain on families who must now travel considerable distances to access facilities. Moreover, swimming is a crucial life skill, and our children are losing the opportunity to learn it in a safe and supportive environment,” reads the petition. “The construction of a new swimming pool would rejuvenate our community, offering a myriad of benefits. It would encourage physical activity among all age groups, serve as a gathering point for social interactions and community events, and could even become a venue for local and regional competitions, boosting our local economy.”

The petition garnered 302 signatures and seven comments, including from Ward 1 Councilor Jon Hildreth.

“I am aware of this, and I think a community center with a year-round pool would be good for Laconia. With any proposal like this, one has to consider all aspects of the project and its impact on all residents. Having lived here most of my life, and having been a fitness instructor at the YMCA, I witnessed the financial stress that an Olympic-size pool can place on a nonprofit, ultimately resulting in the demise of the [YMCA] here in Laconia. A well thought out proposal with a fiscal impact for the community needs to include a business plan with a self-sustaining aspect,” Hildreth wrote. “Without that, I fear that we will have pushback from taxpayers.”

Antonopoulos, in an interview via phone, said since she launched the petition, she has been connected with ACLR. She hopes to attend an upcoming meeting, and really thinks having a pool is a major asset to the community and its overall health.

“I think it’s the best sport. I am passionate about it,” Antonopoulos said, who added while she tried to keep her own kids involved in swimming, the commute to another pool proved to be too much.

How exactly the future pool will take form, and where exactly, remains to be seen.

ACLR members have toured swimming facilities of all kinds around New England, including in Claremont and Lebanon, seeking inspiration, like splash pads, or deciding “do not want” items. It’s given them a chance to explore all options, leaving nothing off the table.

“We gathered a lot of information, and kind of looked at things. We haven't ruled out the old location in Laconia that had three different iterations, but it does have some complications. Parking. It’s built on a hill, so there are multilevels,” Gingrich said. “My guess is something would be built, but we’re not honed in on just that. We’re looking anywhere for a parcel of land, or a good spot to have a pool.”

Antonopoulos informally requested numbers from a contractor friend for a new build, and treating him as a “potential investor,” she was able to glean a key piece of information needed for support: The demand must be there.

Investors "wanna see the demand. There was a lot of buzz with so many people asking about it,” she said.

In the end, the nonprofit and its members don’t necessarily care how the pool takes shape, as long as they can help facilitate its creation.

“We’re going to have to be raising the money, and finding a location, and getting all that put together,” Gingrich said. “Whatever community we put that in, hopefully they will be as helpful as possible with a permit.”

For more information or to get involved, visit aclakes.org.

•••

Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.