As part of the Swimming Pool Plan 2, the European Metropolis of Lille (Mel) has launched a call for expressions of interest for municipalities wishing to host new aquatic facilities. This is how the towns of Tourcoing and Roubaix expressed their desire to participate in this project, by choosing the Zac de l’Union as the location for the establishment of a future 50-meter pool. This project was quickly recognized as being of metropolitan interest, in particular because of its strategic location in the heart of a district in full transformation.
The Union ZAC, a former industrial wasteland, is today a dynamic development hub, focused on innovation and sustainability. Major projects such as Plaine Images or the European Center for Innovative Textiles make it a place in the midst of change. This future sports facility is therefore part of this dynamic, by adding modern infrastructure which will complete the neighborhood’s offering. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Roubaix canal and a 10-hectare urban park, it fits perfectly into an environment that favors nature and modernity.
This future facility will include several spaces dedicated to swimming and sports activities, including a 50-meter pool, learning pools and play areas. The objective is to meet the needs of schools, families and high-level clubs, while strengthening the territorial network of MEL swimming pools. This project will also be intended to host competitions, an additional asset to give regional and national visibility to the European Metropolis of Lille. The main investment will be carried out by the MEL, which, in partnership with the towns of Roubaix and Tourcoing, will specify the financial terms of this collaboration in the coming months.
The Swimming Pool Plan 2 was launched in a context where many of the MEL’s aquatic facilities are aging. A diagnosis carried out on the region’s public swimming pools revealed urgent needs: still unequal access to swimming for schools, sometimes long journeys to reach the swimming pools, and infrastructures often unsuitable for modern requirements, particularly in terms of comfort. and energy performance. It is in this context that Mel has launched a series of ambitious projects to improve its bathing and swimming offering.
The Swimming Pool Plan 2 pursues three main objectives: supporting existing swimming pools through an investment competition fund to modernize the equipment, facilitating learning to swim for young people through an operating competition fund, and building new swimming pools to meet the needs of local populations and sports clubs. Currently, this plan includes six new swimming pool construction projects and one extension project. The future equipment at the Union ZAC represents an essential link in this development strategy, aiming to make aquatic infrastructure accessible to all and to strengthen the quality of life of the inhabitants of the European Metropolis of Lille.
