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Irvine city officials are revisiting a plan that’s aiming to bring a new public aquatic center to the Great Park — after resident concerns that the city’s existing aquatic facility can’t meet demand.
During the Great Park Board meeting on Feb. 25, city council members directed staff in a 5-0 vote to expedite a previously approved aquatic center at the Great Park and return back to the board with a proposal in 30 days. Councilmember Mike Carroll was absent from the meeting.
Staff’s report back to the council is also expected to include ideas of where the city-run facility could be located within the Great Park.
Councilmember William Go said he placed the item on the agenda after seeing how busy it can get at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
“It’s an amazing facility from recreational swimming to national competitions, and it’s one of the only few places in the city where you actually might bump into an Olympic athlete,” Go said at the meeting. “But that challenge we face today is that Woollett is always full and running over capacity every day of the week.”
He said the existing aquatic center is crowded every hour of the day.
“Our city’s demand for aquatic resources far exceeds the capacity of this facility,” Go said. “As Irvine continues to grow, so does the need for more aquatic facilities to teach swim programs, which save lives and keep our residents healthy.”
The city first took a look at bringing a new swim facility to the Great Park years ago.
That project, which first came before the city council back in 2019, would have created an ambitious $250 million swim stadium that would have also become a home for the national Olympic team USA Water Polo.
[Read: Irvine Approves Squishy Concept for $250 Million USA Water Polo Stadium at Great Park]
Then in 2023, the council discussed a new plan that proposed an $80 million facility in partnership with USA Water Polo. The council expressed interest in having the aquatic center ready for the 2028 Olympics, but Irvine city leaders later voted to delay the project to as late as 2032.
[Read: Irvine Delays Controversial Great Park Olympic Aquatics Center]
Now, the city is looking to speed up the timeline again.
“The city previously explored the idea of building a new facility at the Great Park, in partnership with USA Water Polo, but unfortunately, the project fell through,” Go said. “Moving forward with this item, we can expedite the development of a much-needed aquatic center and solidify Irvine’s position as a leader in recreational amenities.”
Councilmembers Melinda Liu and James Mai expressed financial concerns during the meeting, but there was no cost analysis or estimate included in the presentation or staff report.
“Hopefully we have some fiscal plan and capital plan on doing this,” Mai said. “That’s all. It sounds like a great and needed venue.”
Mayor Larry Agran emphasized the importance of creating a “community-oriented” facility instead of “a multi-million dollar elite facility.”
“The previous aquatic complex that was under consideration by this board, and in turn the council, was oriented in many ways toward elite swimmers, competitive swimmers and the like, but I’m assuming what you have in mind is much more readily available to the larger Irvine community,” Agran said during the meeting.
Go agreed, saying the number one goal is to create a city-run aquatic center that serves the community’s needs.
The Great Park Board — which is composed of the six current city council members — is expected to discuss the idea again within the next 30 days after staff returns with proposed plans.
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13
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