I know how I’d choose between the two alternatives

/

Cost of new Greenwich High School pool estimated at $57 million [Before the inevitable overruns]

Kathy Smith at her blog GreenwichWise has the details

On Thursday, June 11, the Greenwich Board of Education (BOE) had its first official read of the NaTCAD (Natatorium, Tennis Courts and Access Driveway) project proposed for Greenwich High School. Under the primary plan being considered, the district would tear down the aging 1968 pool and rebuild directly on its existing footprint, a move that will require relocating GHS aquatics activities for 1 to 2 years during construction.

The GHS pool is well past its prime. Between structural water seepage, non-compliant drain codes, and a ceiling layout so low that divers aren't safely allowed to use the 1-meter boards, a new pool is desperately needed.

Let's Be Honest About the Size of the Natatorium

“While the BOE frames this option as a necessary rebuild within the pool's existing footprint, the data shown in the meeting's presentation tells a completely different story. We aren’t just swapping out an old pool for a modern version of the same thing.

“The plan is to vastly expand the footprint to fit in modern competitive water polo space, elevated spectator seating, expanded locker rooms, and the high vertical ceilings required for safety-compliant diving. The presentation specs reveal that the proposed facility is actually jumping from the original 10,212-square-foot footprint to a massive 35,059-square-foot premier aquatics complex—over 3 times its original size.”

Putting the $57 million Price tag into Perspective

“The current conceptual cost for the new natatorium complex sits around $47 million, and it balloons to $57.4 million when you add the tennis courts and access driveway work.
To understand the scale of this capital investment, it helps to look at how this stacks up against other highly-debated town infrastructure overhauls:

  • Dorothy Hamill Rink Rebuild: At over $57 million, this single high school sports project costs significantly more than the entire $41.2 million rink rebuild project in Byram.

  • Central Middle School: It commands more than half the budget required to build the entire brand-new, 125,000-square-foot Central Middle School campus from scratch.

Fast Track

“This project is moving exceptionally fast. A special meeting is scheduled for this Monday, June 22, to refine the educational specifications for the project ahead of the final fall push. You can view the agenda here.”

Also from Kathy Smith and very much related:

The Dreaded Greenwich Property Tax Bill Has Arrived

As we highlighted in our May 19, 2026 blog (Let's Be Honest About the Greenwich Mill Rate), a combination of high town spending and lagging commercial office valuations, has heavily shifted the financial burden onto local homeowners.

Residential and condo owners in Greenwich are bearing the brunt of this shift:

  • Average Residential Rise: An increase of almost 8%.

  • Condo Owners: Facing a steep 13.60% increase.

  • District 1 Residents: Seeing a massive 15.25% spike.


Don't be Fooled

When you see your higher tax bill, you won't feel any better being told that Greenwich maintains the "lowest mill rate in the State of CT." Because our property values are so high, Greenwich residents already pay among the highest property taxes per capita in the entire state.

Why are our bills climbing so fast? Just look at the mismatch in town spending:

  • School Spending Up, Enrollment Down: Our local population is growing at a modest crawl of less than 1% per year, but our public school enrollment has actually been shrinking. Over the last three years, Greenwich Public Schools lost 843 students, yet, the school operating budget just grew to a record $207.1 million. We are educating fewer kids, but spending millions more to do it.

  • Capital Spending Out of Control: This year, the town’s capital spending plan hit an unprecedented total of over $100 million (combining a record $66 million in cash levies and nearly $70 million in new debt). While officials frame these figures as necessary "investments," the real issue is green-lighting projects without tightly controlling their size and scope. For example, the Dorothy Hamill Rink project was supposed to be a simple replacement of an aging 21,000-square-foot building. Instead, it ballooned into a 40,000-square-foot ice emporium, carrying with it the massive cost of fully redesigning a 13-acre park.

Between the Lines: When the Greenwich population is barely growing and the public school enrollment is actively declining, you have to ask why town spending levels are rising so aggressively. There is no such thing as a free lunch—and right now, Greenwich taxpayers are picking up a very expensive tab.