Public pools can be the heart of a community, especially in a city surrounded by water like Mercer Island. Pools are where kids learn the skills to swim safely, where high schoolers build lifelong bonds, and in this case, where Olympic gold medalists are made.
The Mary Wayte Pool, named for the 1984 Olympic 200-meter freestyle champion who grew up swimming there, recently reopened after a significant renovation to meet the growing needs of the community.
This project was supported by two King County Parks Levy grants totaling $2.1 million for planning, design, and construction of the facility, in addition to a $2 million match from the Mercer Island School District. This marks the largest single investment since it opened 53 years ago, ensuring Mary Wayte Pool can serve the community for another decade.
“In a time when community pools are closing and finding space for our high school teams to train and compete becoming increasingly more difficult, I am grateful for the collaboration between our county, city, and school district to preserve this community asset,” Superintendent Fred Rundle said.
The community gathered in January to celebrate the many improvements made to the facility, including:
- New lobby configuration with ADA viewing area looking out onto the pool that will also serve as a small space for birthday parties and group event rentals
- Renovated locker rooms with new ADA showers, sinks, toilets, lockers and changing benches
- Completely resurfaced pool liner and new non-slip epoxy flooring
- Updated ADA lobby bathroom with a new shower, toilet and fixtures
- New check in desk to the left of entry which includes a new pool office
Swimmers from across the Eastside are already enjoying the updated pool, from children taking their first dunk under the water in swim lessons to the twice weekly Aqua Exercise classes always well attended by seniors.
The pool is primarily used by the high school swim teams, water polo teams, and other youth swim clubs on the Eastside who were all in attendance at the grand opening to show their gratitude and excitement for their new home pool. It also gave them a chance to meet hometown hero Mary Wayte who grew up swimming here in the 1970’s.
“The game has taught me that I’m stronger than I think and I can keep pushing forward even when it’s hard,” said a member of the high school girls water polo team. “This pool is the place where I learned those lessons and by renovating this facility, you are preserving a place that has shaped who I am today and will shape future water polo players to learn those same lessons.”
Since 2022, King County Parks has awarded $34 million in grant funding to 35 projects to improve and increase access to public pools across the County. With the passage of the 2026-2031 Parks Levy, we have $31 million in new grant funding available for aquatic facilities over the next six years and will be funding projects that ensure public pools are accessible, safe, and meet the growing needs of the communities they serve.
“I’m so proud to be part of the County Council when we decided in the Parks Levy before Covid to renew our commitment to pools,” King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci said. “We put money into that funding measure for pools like this one and the voters to their credit said yes, like they always do for pools, and we were able to become a partner to help this pool survive and thrive into the next generation.”
The coaches, administrators, and maintenance workers at the Mary Wayte Pool ensure this pool can serve their community every day and King County Parks is proud to be a partner in achieving that goal for years to come. Learn more about our Aquatic Facilities grant program on our website and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest on future funding opportunities.
