Ledyard — After several years of planning and delays involving water usage, rocks and most recently the weather, Thames Aquatic Club is finally ready to open the doors to its new permanent facility.

Delayed a week due to the recent rains, Vitale Aquatics and Tennis will be hosting an open house weekend July 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nicknamed "The VAT," it will be the new home of TAC's competitive and recreational swimming programs as well as new tennis and yoga offerings.

Anne Vitale, head of aquatics and co-owner with her husband, John, said they had been wanting to expand their offerings beyond what they could host when they rented space at Connecticut College's pool.

"When we were renting space, we could only fit swim lessons in a very short period of time, and so we couldn't offer the different programming," she said. "We couldn't offer adult lessons, we couldn't offer programs for kids that are home in the morning."

She also noted that competition pools are kept colder than is comfortable for beginning swimmers, so having their own space allows them to modify the temperature to be more kid-friendly.

They settled on Ledyard because they wanted a rural setting, and the town also is centrally located for their swimmers, who come from around New London County. Throughout the process, Vitale said the town has been very welcoming and supportive of the project.

Plans for development had been in place since at least 2016, and Vitale said they had to subdivide the property, apply for a special use permit for the outdoor pool and navigate a water supply duel between the town's Water Pollution Control Authority and the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority. Ultimately, the Vitales were granted permission to drill their own well to supply water to the property.

Construction was launched in January, nearly two years after the initial permits were approved by Planning and Zoning. Vitale said the overabundance of rocks on the property posed an issue not uncommon in excavation projects in southeastern Connecticut, but Commercial Construction Group was able to use a lot of the rock on site.

The Ledyard site features a six-lane competition pool with a 400-square-foot bump-out on the shallow end, which Vitale said can be used as a safe space for beginner lessons and exercise classes. In the winter, the pool will be covered by an inflatable dome and heated to extend the season.

Beyond the pool are two red clay tennis courts, which absorb moisture and provide an easier playing surface for beginners as well as senior players. Vitale said there aren't many tennis clubs around, and the expansion was a great opportunity to incorporate her husband's expertise as a tennis player and prior director for other tennis clubs in the state.

"Our tennis program is going to run parallel to our swim program, with lessons starting at a very young age," she said, noting the youngest players would be called the "Tiny Tennis Pups" and would progress to the competitive "Top Dogs" team. Adults also will be able to join leagues and clinics.

The facility also will be offering outdoor yoga classes, once the pergola is constructed.

Samantha Vitale, Anne and John's daughter and director of business operations, said she's excited to see it all come together. She said they'll be offering classes more or less all day to accommodate different work schedules.

"It'll be interesting, I think it's a fun aspect for us as a family," Anne Vitale said, adding that Thames Aquatic is a family-run affair. "It's been a fun experience, I think we're all having a good time with it ... it keeps us all close."

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Business Profile

What: Vitale Aquatics and Tennis, offering swim and tennis lessons and teams for all ages

Where: 14 Iron St., Ledyard

Open House: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 6 and 7

Cost: The VAT offers a variety of memberships for swim, tennis and/or yoga, with individual and family levels and discounts for seniors, 10 percent; military, 15 percent; and Ledyard residents, about 20 percent.

More information: thevat.org