City OKs Plan Funds for Swim Complex

The city has agreed to contribute $25,000 to develop a plan for renovating the popular Heritage Park Aquatics Complex, but officials say aggressive fund-raising will be needed to pay for the project, expected to cost as much as $8 million.

“The city does not have the capability to pay for this kind of renovation,” Councilman Greg Smith said. “This facility is on its last legs. We’re faced with the question of whether we renovate or rebuild.”

The city will ask the Irvine Unified School District to split the estimated $50,000 cost of creating a master plan for refurbishing the 10-year-old swimming complex, which is on school district property.

An estimated 1,275 youths participate in after-school swimming programs at the Aquatics Center, according to a city report. The center is also used by UC Irvine swimmers and other members of the community.

The city earns about $150,000 a year from fees for recreational swimming and lessons at the center. A task force reported that the facility is being used near its capacity and that a renovated Aquatics Center should be larger to accommodate increasing demand.

The center’s 50-meter aluminum pool is suffering from structural problems that will require its replacement within three to five years, city officials said.

Smith said the cost of rebuilding versus renovation would be about the same. The potential costs will be more clearly identified once the initial facility study authorized Tuesday night by council members is complete.

Among the funding options suggested by the city-appointed task force are the use of developer fees, the creation of a park bond, establishing a joint-venture partnership with a public or private organization, and launching a communitywide fund-raising campaign.