Schools May Help City Fund Swim Complex

The city and Irvine Unified School District may unite to pay for a rehabilitation of Heritage Park Aquatics Complex.

Engineering studies show that the pools’ mechanical parts and piping are likely to fail and that the 18-year-old complex needs to be renovated or torn down. But the city does not have money to pay for the whole project, estimated to cost $8 million to $10 million.

A city steering committee, formed a year ago to find ways to raise money for the project, came up with the idea that the city and the school district, both in need of more aquatics facilities, jointly fund repairing or building a new complex. The plan was presented to the City Council, but council members said they need more information before they can give their approval.

The City Council and board of trustees for Irvine Unified School District will discuss the proposal at a joint meeting set for 5:30 p.m. June 9 at City Hall, One Civic Center Plaza.

“There are a lot of facilities we can share,” Councilman Greg Smith said. “It would be inefficient for us to build pools scattered all over town. We can make better use of public resources by having one complex.”

The steering committee also has suggested that the community’s many independent competitive swimming groups raise enough money to build their own pools at the complex.

City officials said that, by having their own pools, the groups would have more freedom to schedule practices and events, and would not have to work around city and school swim programs.

“There is hardly a time the pools are not used--from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days of the week,” said Deanna Manning, the city’s community development director.

The complex is home to the Irvine Swim League and Novaquatics, to which 1996 Olympic medalist Amanda Beard belongs. Other groups using the pool are a diving team and synchronized swim team.