Colby College broke ground on a new multi-million dollar\u00a0athletic center on Friday that is set to be completed in 2020 according to a report from WCSH in Portland, Maine. The athletic center will boast the state’s first Olympic sized swimming pool when it is completed.<\/p>\n
The facility will cost $200 million and is expected to draw athletes and fans from across the northeast to the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to do it in a way that supports the youth of this area, but also helps to drive economic development,\u201d said President of Colby College David Greene<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The investment would help the local economy and would add millions of dollars to the college. Colby College and the Alfond Foundation have already put investments forth to revitalize the town of Waterville.<\/p>\n Local residents have already noticed the resurgence of\u00a0Waterville and believe the new athletic center will only help the town moving forward.\u00a0College officials estimate the new center will bring nearly $1 million to the downtown annually once it is up and running.<\/p>\n Despite not having a 50-meter-pool in the state, Maine has already produced a 3-time Olympian in Ian Crocker<\/strong>, who swam four years at the University of Texas and won five individual NCAA titles in his career, along with setting the world record in the 100 LCM butterfly in 2005 that stood for four years.<\/p>\n