A local swim nonprofit that has spent years bouncing between rented pools across Omaha is trying to build a permanent home of its own — and it thinks the payoff could be more than medals. The Greater Omaha Aquatics Foundation plans to construct an Olympic-size swimming pool on an empty field near 108th and Blondo streets, with backers arguing the facility would let the city compete for swim meets it currently has no way to host.
Planning Board Clears the Way
The Omaha City Planning Board has already approved a permit for the project, according to WOWT, which reported the center is planned for an empty lot in West Omaha near 108th Street and Blondo Street. The foundation has purchased two lots in northwest Omaha for the project, and as reported by KMTV 3 News Now Omaha, the project still needs $7 million before it can move forward. The foundation's own website describes the effort as a 22 million dollar vision, while WOWT's reporting put the total build cost at about 20 million dollars — figures that differ depending on the source but point to the same ambitious project.
Once that funding gap closes, construction should take about 14 months, per 3 News Now. The planned facility would be a 50-by-25-meter pool with eight lanes and seating for 1,200 people, according to the station's reporting — specs that line up with the Greater Omaha Aquatics Foundation, which describes an Olympic-standard pool built by Myrtha Pools. WOWT has separately reported the facility would include eight long-course lanes and 20 short-course lanes, giving the center flexibility to host both long-course and short-course competitions.
A Team Without a Home Pool
RJ Lebbert, president of the foundation, said the organization travels to compete because Omaha lacks a facility capable of hosting top talent from across the country. Tom Beck, the foundation's director, said the group rents pool space around town and operates out of seven different pools each summer just to keep its roster training. Between 300 and 350 young swimmers are on the team, according to WOWT's reporting on the nonprofit's plans.
That patchwork arrangement is part of what's driving the push for a dedicated building. The foundation plans to host short-course meets that could attract teams from Kansas City, St. Louis and Minneapolis, and organizers say the planned pool would give visiting swimmers central access in Omaha while sending business to nearby hotels and restaurants. The foundation has also said it would bid to host Sectional Championships, All-Star meets, Zone Championships, collegiate conference meets and College Swimming League events, according to SwimSwam, which also reported the project is aiming to raise about $7 million of the roughly $20 million total cost. The facility is expected to host five to six swim meets a year on weekends, including major regional meets, WOWT reported separately.
Beyond Competition: Lessons and Safety
Organizers insist the center isn't just for elite athletes chasing medals. The foundation's reporting describes the main focus as teaching water safety and offering affordable swim lessons, with the group's own materials framing the facility as a space designed for major competitions, family events and community gatherings alike. Charity Navigator, which tracks nonprofit transparency, says the Greater Omaha Aquatics Foundation currently cannot be rated because it has not received the public data required to create a star rating — a reminder that the organization is still building its public financial track record even as it pitches donors on a multimillion-dollar facility.
What Big Swim Meets Have Meant for Omaha Before
Omaha isn't guessing about the payoff of hosting swimmers from out of town. The city was home to the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials from 2008 through 2021, per SwimSwam, and the economic numbers from those events were substantial. The 2020 trials generated $34.5 million in economic impact for Omaha and Nebraska, according to WOWT's 2021 reporting, while the 2016 trials — a sellout — generated $74 million. The 2020 event also produced an estimated $47 million in media value, with the bulk of the impact coming from out-of-state visitors paying for hotel rooms, tickets, meals, attractions and shopping.
A similar logic is playing out elsewhere in the city's sports-infrastructure push. Tranquility Park, near 120th and Military, is undergoing a major soccer-field remodel, and Omaha voters will consider nearly $30 million in bonds on Tuesday to help complete those renovations. City council member Aimee Melton has said the renovated park could draw soccer tournaments from cities such as Kansas City and Chicago, according to 3 News Now — a bet on the same kind of out-of-town traffic the aquatics foundation hopes its pool will bring in.
