Village of Westmont
Date Issued: December 14, 2018
On December 13, 2018, the FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park project in Westmont broke ground. The event was followed by a formal ceremony featuring several guest speakers at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center in Westmont. “This project has evolved quite a bit since it was first introduced a couple of years ago,” said Mayor Ron Gunter. “We are extremely excited to move forward and thankful for Mary Ann Kaufman and her team for choosing Westmont.”
Last July, the Village of Westmont Board of Trustees voted to approve plans from FMC Aquatic Opportunities and the Westmont Park District for a world-class natatorium project at 660 Blackhawk Drive, which is part of Ty Warner Park in Westmont. The project will be a 60,000 square foot aquatic center and include a 9-lane, 50-meter competition pool with spectator seating for 1,200. The facility will also include a 25-yard training pool with a primary use for swim lessons and learn to swim programming.
"Mark and I are delighted to partner with the Village of Westmont to make FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park a reality,” said Mary Ann Kaufman, FMC Aquatic Opportunities. “Mayor Ron Gunter and his outstanding staff have devoted countless hours to this project and I could not be more excited that we are finally underway. Our goal is to make swimming accessible to as many children and adults as possible.” Kaufman stated that the driving force behind this project of passion is to teach children how to swim and about water safety. Kaufman reported that drowning is the second largest accidental cause of death for children 14 and under in the United States and is the number one cause of accidental death for children under age 5.
More than 200 guests took part in the ceremony at the Hilton, which featured several guest speakers: Mark and Mary Ann Kaufman, who are the husband and wife team behind FMC Aquatic Opportunities; Westmont Mayor Ron Gunter; Deanne Mazzochi, Illinois State Representative; DuPage County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Beth Marchetti; and David Sims, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team. Each person spoke to the dedication and perseverance of Mary Ann Kaufman as she led the team through many obstacles towards the path of success.
“Currently, the State of Illinois does not have an aquatic facility of this calibre,” said Park District Executive Director Bob Fleck. “We were extremely happy to partner with this project which will now be a destination for local, regional, state, and even national events. This is an incredible opportunity for Westmont.”
Photos from the ceremony can be found in the Village of Westmont Photo Gallery -
https://villageofwestmont.smugmug.com/2018/2018-12-14-FMC-Natatorium-Groundbreaking-Ceremony/
A video of the guest speakers can be found on the Village of Westmont YouTube Channel -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXHCrrSM704&feature=em-uploademail
Work on the property has already begun and construction is expected within the next few months. The project is scheduled to open in 2020. For more information regarding this and other commercial development projects in the Village of Westmont, contact Larry Forssberg at Lforssberg@westmont.il.gov or 630-960-5553.
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Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont
Communications Director/PIO
630-417-0280
lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov
