'Friends of +POOL' have issued Archinect with a response to our recent reporting of concerns raised by Dong-Ping Wong, the project’s inventor and architect.

Reacting to news that the long-planned project had received $16 million in city and state funding, Wong described the step as “bittersweet” in a post shared on Instagram before expressing various concerns about the scheme.

“+ POOL's record on swim education and swim accessibility for communities of color speaks for itself,” Friends of +POOL Managing Director Kara Meyer said in a statement provided to Archinect. “Friends of + POOL has made DEI a major priority in its policies and programs, which is why it was a centerpiece of both the Governor and the Mayor’s announcements at the Jan 5 press conference.”

Responding to Dong-Ping Wong's criticism of “the long-standing lack of diversity of the + POOL board,” Gabriel Einsohn, PR Advisor to Friends of +POOL, commented that “four of nine board members are women and people of color.” While this is not reflected on their website (at the time of publication), we assume this indicates a shift toward greater diversity among their board and team. 

Additionally, in a statement provided to Archinect by the group, +POOL cofounders Archie Lee Coates IV, Jeff Franklin, and Oana Stănescu said: “We are proud of how the nonprofit is fulfilling our original vision. In fact, it’s gone beyond what any of us imagined. This should be a moment of collective celebration and is when the work truly begins.”

Following the latest funding, the project is expected to be tested in the summer of 2024 and, if found to have fulfilled all health and safety requirements, is scheduled to open to the public in 2025.