Soon, summer months won’t be the only time New Yorkers can hang 10 in Far Rockaway. According to reports from Gothamist, an indoor wave pool in the NYC neighborhood is in current negotiations with the city. The project would be completed by Brooklyn design firm, Local Office Landscape and Urban Design.
Though no exact location has been released, the design firm’s founder, Walter Meyer, and the founder of the Black Surfing Association’s east coast chapter, Lou Harris, shared the size of the pool would extend the length of a football field.
“Where it’s at, it’s not frequented by a lot of surfers and that’s why we want to put a lot of people in that area to see how desirable it is,” added Harris.
In the case that negotiations don’t go as planned, Meyer’s expressed his intention on possibly seeking out some privately owned land.
If built, the indoor wave pool would offer free surfing and safety lessons to Far Rockaway residents. Moreover, Meyer would start a fundraiser to aid the underserved community by providing swimming skills. In its entirety, the project would total to $30 million.
“It’s going to be about ocean safety because the majority of the drownings in Rockaway are not visitors, they’re actually local residents and usually people of color,” said Meyer. “We want to reduce drownings.”
The wave pool would feature cabanas, locker rooms for surfboards, and discounted swimming and ocean safety lessons.
For those who are interested in surfing but are just getting started, the indoor wave pool will grant the perfect opportunity to “work on your craft,” assured Harris. It will be available “When it’s a thunderstorm, when it’s raining, when it’s snowing, cause it’s going to be a year-round thing.”