According to a spokesperson for the state Parks and Recreation Commission, the Carole Ann Wald Pool in St. Edward State Park officially closed its doors for the second time in less than a year on Dec. 30.

“The gym and pool are closed until further notice,” said commission Public Information Officer Sandy Mealing.

Mealing added the pool closed to the general public a few weeks ago, though she did not have an exact date. In recent weeks, the facility was open only to groups or organizations that had contracted for its use.

Mealing was at first unsure as to the state’s next action. She later said officials would be releasing, sometime in the next few weeks, a request for proposals in hopes of attracting a new pool manager.

Citing financial problems, the pool’s latest operator, Mill Creek’s West Coast Aquatics, announced Nov. 25 that it would be opting out of its contract to run the pool and gym. The announcement came roughly six months after West Coast became the pool’s seeming savior, taking over after the previous operator chose not to renew its contract to run the facility.

Seattle’s Northwest Center cut its ties to the pool, citing essentially the same financial problems West Coast officials have pointed to more recently.

“We’re just a small little nonprofit swim team,” said Mike McGinnis, vice president of the West Coast Board of Directors. “What we thought was going to be simple, wasn’t.”

McGinnis continued that the added responsibility of the gym, as well as a “shared” space in the St. Edward seminary building contributed to the financial difficulties that ultimately led his organization to terminate its contract.

In the past, West Coast officials have said the cost of heating and maintaining the pool and gym was more than they expected and simply too much for the group to afford. They also talked about unexpected mechanical repairs they feel will be needed in the future.

For his part, McGinnis specifically stated that utility costs, including water and heating, played a key role in West Coast’s decision. He added a major problem is the fact one utility meter apparently keeps track of pool related costs, as well as costs connected to theoretically separate operations. McGinnis described the situation as inequitable to the pool operator, but also added another reason for high utility costs is the inefficiency of the pool building and its mechanical equipment.

Mealing did not offer any sort of timetable for the state to find a new operator. Speaking in late December, she did say no one had come forward looking to take over the pool to date.

When Northwest walked away from the pool, the facility was closed for almost exactly two months, from Feb. 22 to May 23 of last year. Until a few months ago, Northwest also was the operator of the Ruiz-Costie/Northshore Pool in Bothell. Again citing financial difficulties, Northwest cut its ties to that pool, which closed in August.

In the case of the Wald pool, Northwest officials said they were losing some $50,000 annually on pool operations. They claimed the Northshore facility was costing them an additional $50,000.