NOVA of Virginia Aquatics, one of the top swim clubs in the United States, will roll out a major expansion to its home pool on Friday.
The Richmond-based club will celebrate the grand opening of the second floor of the NOVA-Regency Aquatic Center, a 29,000 square-foot expansion that will include seating for 1,000 spectators, an expanded Virginia swim shop and a new community room.
“The project represents a major step forward for youth sports, community recreation, and Henrico’s growing sports tourism economy,” the club said in a release.
The second-floor viewing area above the pool was put to use for the first time during the NOVA Halloween Haunt on Oct. 24-26.
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The club hosted another meet this past weekend, the NOVA Senior Classic.
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The NOVA-Regency Aquatic Center opened in September 2021 and features an eight-lane, 50-meter pool along with a pair of three-lane 25-yard pools. It is built in an old Macy’s in the Regency Mall, which had fallen into disuse like many American malls.
The club has a second facility, the NOVA Aquatics Center – Gayton Road, which is a 12-minute drive away from the Regency pool.
Both facilities are located in Richmond.
NOVA of Virginia Aquatics, which has over 750 swimmers, earned Gold Medal status in USA Swimming’s annual Club Excellence Rankings that were released in October. They were one of 12 clubs honored as a Podium Club in 2025 after earning Gold Medal status for four straight years.
The club will host a Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on the second floor, while in the pool, NOVA will host Nation’s Capital, Jersey Wahoos, and Long Island Aquatic Club in the 14 & under Middle Atlantic Age Group Showdown.
What I’d consider to be the most important part of the story was omitted: This is literally in an old Macy’s store. Regency is a mall that has gone the way of many malls that peaked in the 1980s and 90s, and fell into disrepair.
What town is this club in and what portion of Virginia is served by its operation?
Henrico County, which is a suburb or Richmond, Va. Specifically, they are located in the west end of the metropolitan area.