KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- Strangers have been swimming in Mary Lee Salzer-Lutz's backyard pool this summer.
Salzer-Lutz is renting out her family's 22-foot, above-ground pool, with four windows and LED lighting, through an app called Swimply -- think Airbnb for pool owners. She's making $30 an hour, and has hosted families she had never met, even a couple who spent a date night poolside.
"It's been such a huge surprise," Salzer-Lutz said of the demand. "I didn't even finish the registration process before I had my first booking."
Public pools and aquatic centers across the region have closed this summer due to the coronavirus. Swimming lessons and pool parties have been canceled. But with the Midwest summer predictably hot and humid, a groundswell of alternatives has arisen.
Some swim instructors have adapted, teaching behind masks and shields. A Chicago-based chain of swim schools is making plans to build four upscale facilities here. And Swimply, which rolled out nationwide last summer, is getting a toe-hold locally. It touts itself as the first online marketplace for pool sharing. Pool-seekers can see photos and read reviews of pools before they book, and each pool is inspected for safety and hygiene prior to listing, the company said.
That leaves Salzer-Lutz and other pool-owners -- including a man in Lindenwood Park who rented his pool for a music-video shoot -- tapping into a market of people craving time in the water, when finding a place to swim hasn't been quite so easy.
Public pools have closed from Sunset Hills to Florissant, Chesterfield to Webster Groves.
The Ellisville City Council decided early to close its pool for the season, voting April 15 not to open it on the traditional Memorial Day Weekend.
"It was a combination of the covid unknowns, the human-resource unknowns and, honestly, the safety of our staff," said Mayor Mike Roemerman.
The cost of operating the pool also was a factor -- closing the pool was part of budget trims the city made to deal with a downtick in revenue due to the coronavirus, he said.
The momentary downturn in pool usage hasn't deterred some from investing.
Ben Cahill and his father, Jack Cahill, purchased the franchise rights to build four Big Blue Swim School locations in the St. Louis area.
The chain has 80 locations in development across the country, and it touts its easy scheduling through an app. Parents can schedule lessons for kids who are different ages at the same time, and accommodate requests including preference for a male or female teacher. The app uses an algorithm to match all criteria.
"We're almost investing in a technology company that teaches swimming lessons," said Ben Cahill. The father of three from Town and Country, said the convenience factor got him excited about the company.
Their plan is to open one pool a year, starting next year. Each pool is expected to cost $1.8 million to $2.5 million. Parents pay a monthly membership, which breaks down to roughly $25 per lesson.
They'll enter a crowded market. High-end swim schools dot the region, especially in St. Charles and west St. Louis counties.
The Gateway Region YMCA is being extra careful these days: Group classes are smaller. Reservations must be made for lap swimming. Employees disinfect the pool deck and locker room entrances between sessions. Teachers wear face shields.
But the Y has seen an uptick in parents choosing private and semiprivate lessons, said Tricia Meinhold, the Y's vice president of operations.
"We encourage people to put their kids in swim lessons," Meinhold said. "It provides some normalcy. And this is a life-saving skill."
Demand for pools and swim schools is driven by demographics, said Ben Terrill, a franchising consultant. Middle-class families with kids, plus a bit of expendable income.
Enter the market for renting private pools.
In the St. Louis area, 25 pools are listed for rent on Swimply, including one owned by Scott Schumaier, who lives in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood of St. Louis.
He rents out his 16-by-30-foot backyard pool for $60 an hour.
"Growing up, pools were a big part of my life. I was at a pool every single day. I like providing that experience to kids missing it now," he said.
He said he's rented out his pool about 20 times through Swimply, and another dozen or so through Facebook for children's birthday parties or family gatherings.
His guests text him if they need to come into the house to use a bathroom. They wash hands before entering, and while inside they wear a mask.
He thinks he'll continue renting it out, even when public pools open.
"Maybe the demand will be down, but it's a unique experience and the people who are using it this year like the experience of a private pool," Schumaier said.
A few days ago, he had a unique experience of his own: He hosted a video shoot for a rap song.
On a recent Saturday, music video director Fonzy Marcelis -- aka Director Fonzy -- and rapper Ben Luke rented Schumaier's blue-tiled pool and tropical backyard. They brought in cameras, cold beverages, beach balls and a bevy of women in bathing suits.
It was, Schumaier said, the most interesting rental at his pool all summer.
Colter Peterson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Distributed by the Associated Press.