A large crowd of swimmers, former swimmers, parents and swim fans packed the Linn-Mar school board meeting Monday night to find out that the district will finally have a swimming pool to call its own.

After years of false starts, the board gave Superintendent Katie Mulholland the go-ahead to move forward with construction plans.

If all goes well, she said, the competition-sized pool should be built by August of 2013. It will be used by Linn-Mar swim teams and for general use by students throughout the district.

“I would say the 75-or-so who were here tonight were very excited and happy,” Mulholland said.  “Everyone is very positive about it.”

Linn-Mar is the only team in the Metro that fields swimming teams yet does not have its own pool.  Boys and girls  teams practice and hold meets at Coe College.

Mulholland estimated the cost of the aquatics center at $5 million, to be paid for from local option sales tax revenues.  She said funds that had been earmarked for additions to Linn Grove and Westfield elementary schools might be re-directed for the pool since the school projects may not be necessary for now.

Mulholland is to report back to the school board in late February with proposals from architects and in early April with potential sites on the Linn-Mar campus.

Tentative plans are for construction to begin this summer.