Goldfish Swim School opens in Plainfield

PLAINFIELD – The new Goldfish Swim School in Plainfield looks like an underwater Caribbean cove from the inside, in contrast to the external appearance of the industrial warehouse it now occupies.

"The way it's designed, it's kid friendly with a tropical paradise theme," owner Randall Barba said.

Goldfish is a swimming school designed for children ages 6 months to 12 years. The school is unique because very few swimming facilities focus primarily on swimming lessons, Barba said.

The swim school, located at 12315 Rhea Drive, officially opened its doors Thursday. But staff joined the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce in recognizing the opening Tuesday morning.

A grand opening Sunday attracted about 500 people, Barba said.

The school is the second opened by Barba in the area. He owns another swim school in Naperville.

"The process behind the Naperville location was very arduous, but Plainfield was very good," Barba said, thanking the village for its help.

While garnering approval from the Village Board for the annexation of the land into Plainfield from Wheatland Township and the property's rezoning for commercial use, plans hit a bump.

During a Nov. 18, 2014 meeting, trustees received confirmation from Barba that the facility would only be used for swimming lessons. But when the ordinances came up for approval a couple weeks later, some trustees were upset at the inclusion of parties at the facility.

"I think the real situation was a miscommunication," Barba said. "I think it was more of a clarification that 98 percent of our business is teaching swim lessons. But we also offer birthday parties on Saturdays and Sundays. That's it."

So far, the school has been a hit, Barba said.

"We're servicing all of Plainfield and Bolingbrook," he said. "There really is no standalone swim school in Plainfield."